Evaluation of cottonseed bioactive peptides on growth performance, carcase traits, immunity, total antioxidant activity of serum and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens

Abstract

The objective of the present experiment was to evaluate the effect of bioactive peptides derived from cottonseed (BPC) on chicken performance, immunity, the total antioxidant activity of serum and intestinal morphology. A total of 280 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into 1 of the following 7 experimental treatments (5 replicates per treatment with 8 broilers per pen). Five diets were formulated to contain 0 (control), 3, 4, 5 and 6 g BPC/kg of diet in comparison with control + 50 U excessive dietary vitamin E and control + 2 mg lincomycin. At 40 d the BW tended to improve in broilers supplemented with an antibiotic, 3, 5 and 6 g BPC/kg groups (p > .05). In the whole trial, supplementing 5 g BPC/kg increased feed intake of broilers in comparison to other groups (p < .05). In the whole trial broilers fed diets supplemented with 6 g BPC/kg had a significantly better FCR value (p < .001). Supplementation of 3 g BPC/kg increased antibody titres against Newcastle disease virus and sheep red blood cell (p < .01). Dietary supplementation of vitamin E, antibiotic, 3, 4 and 5 g BPC/kg significantly (p < .001) increased total antioxidant activity of serum compared with those fed the basal diet. In conclusion, the results indicated that supplementation of 6 g BPC/kg in broiler diets could induce favourable influences on growth performance, immune responses and total antioxidant activity of serum and it could be used in broiler diets as an alternative to antibiotics.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Broilers fed diets supplemented with 6 g bioactive peptides (BPC)/kg had better FCR.

• Supplementation of BPC increased humoral immune responses.

Keywords:

• Antibiotic
• bioactive peptides
• broiler
• immunity
• lincomycin

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Pishgam Damparvar Sepahan Co. Ltd. for supplying broiler house, feed and skilled workers.

Ethical approval

The birds were raised in accordance with the U.S. National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Besides, the sampling procedures complied with the ethical guidelines of the Shahrekord University’s Ethical Committee, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord branch, Iran (approval ref no. 2018-005).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).