Growth, carcase characteristics, meat quality, nutrient digestibility and immune function of broilers fed with enzymatically treated or raw dandelion (taraxacum mongolicum hand.-mazz.)

Figures & data

Table 1. Ingredient and chemical composition of basal diets as fed basis.

Items	Starter (d 1–21)	Finisher (d 22–42)
Ingredients, %
Corn	52.70	59.00
Soybean meal	40.00	33.80
Soybean oil	3.00	3.00
Dicalcium phosphate	1.90	1.80
Limestone	1.08	1.22
Salt	0.37	0.37
L-Lysine HCl	0.05	0.03
DL-Methionine	0.19	0.07
Vitamin and minerals premix^1	0.60	0.60
Choline	0.11	0.11
Total	100.00	100.00
Chemical composition^2
Metabolisable energy, MJ/kg	12.42	12.62
Crude protein, %	21.77	19.74
Ether extract, %	4.69	5.45
Crude fibre, %	3.50	3.26
Calcium, %	0.99	1.20
Total phosphorus, %	0.59	0.67
Nonphytate phosphorus, %	0.54	0.57

¹ Provided per kilogram of diet: vitamin A 9000 IU, vitamin D₃ 3000 IU, vitamin E 26 mg, vitamin K₃ 1.20 mg, vitamin B₁ 3.00 mg, vitamin B₂ 8.00 mg, vitamin B₆ 4.40 mg, vitamin B₁₂ 0.012 mg, nicotinic acid 45 mg, folic acid 0.75, mg, biotin 0.20, mg, choline 1100 mg, calcium pantothenate 15 mg. Fe 100 mg, Cu 10 mg, Zn 108 mg, Mn 120 mg, I 1.5 mg, Se 0.35 mg

² Metabolisable energy is calculated value, while the others are measured values.

Table 2. Effects of enzyme-treated and raw dandelion on growth performance of broilers.

Items	Treatments^1			SEM	p-Value
	CON	RD	ED
1 d BW, g	45.73	46.24	46.73	0.625	0.435
21 d BW, g	715.10	714.44	748.90	31.102	0.235
42 d BW, g	2413.66	2399.33	2399.84	103.104	0.972
Starter 1-21 days
Average daily gain, g	32.22	31.85	33.43	1.471	0.484
Average daily feed intake, g	55.10	54.95	55.16	2.573	0.991
Feed conversion ratio	1.72^a	1.74^a	1.65^b	0.050	0.022
Finisher 22-42 days
Average daily gain, g	80.55	80.99	79.65	4.007	0.723
Average daily feed intake, g	142.92	145.82	142.97	6.048	0.731
Feed conversion ratio	1.77	1.77	1.81	0.029	0.141
Whole period 1-42 days
Average daily gain, g	56.38	56.04	56.03	2.554	0.969
Average daily feed intake, g	99.01	99.24	99.07	4.101	0.996
Feed conversion ratio	1.76	1.77	1.77	0.030	0.729

^abValues with different letter superscripts mean significant difference (p < .05).

Abbreviations: BW, Body weight.

¹ Treatments included basal diet (CON) and basal diets plus 1 g/kg of raw dandelion (RD) and enzyme-treated dandelion (ED).

Table 3. Effect of enzyme-treated and raw dandelion on carcase characteristics of broilers.

Items	Treatments^1			SEM	p-Value
	CON	RD	ED
Slaughter rate, %	91.28	91.47	90.91	0.860	0.609
Eviscerated rate, %	81.32	81.18	81.24	0.899	0.969
Breast muscle rate, %	27.70^b	27.61^ab	28.86^a	0.968	0.041
Leg muscle rate, %	18.39	19.65	19.39	1.232	0.101
Abdominal fat rate, %	1.92	1.89	1.64	0.576	0.640

^abValues with different letter superscripts mean significant difference (p < .05).

¹ Treatments included basal diet (CON) and basal diets plus 1 g/kg of raw dandelion (RD) and enzyme-treated dandelion (ED).

Table 4. Effect of enzyme-treated and raw dandelion on meat quality of broilers.

Items	Treatments^1			SEM	p-Value
	CON	RD	ED
Breast muscle
pH45 min	6.78	6.74	6.84	0.217	0.418
pH24 h	6.09	6.13	6.15	0.173	0. 419
Lightness (L*)	47.63	47.90	47.94	1.677	0.948
Redness (a*)	6.29	5.42	5.72	1.357	0.542
Yellowness (b*)	12.06	11.68	11.45	1.136	0.651
Drip loss, %	2.56^a	1.90^ab	1.48^b	0.632	0.049
Water loss rate, %	17. 60^a	15.71^b	13.58^b	2.429	0.044
Cooking loss, %	27.75	29.12	27.96	2.080	0.492
Shear force, N	59.34	52.39	55.67	9.404	0.455
Leg muscle
pH45 min	6.69	6.71	6.59	0.323	0.457
pH24 h	6.74	6.71	6.76	0.224	0.813
Lightness (L*)	50.97	50.27	50.03	1.434	0.533
Redness (a*)	7.20	7.56	7.77	1.041	0.653
Yellowness (b*)	11.63	11.74	11.34	0.965	0.761
Drip loss, %	1.65	1.57	1.67	0.328	0.883
Water loss rate, %	23.68	21.94	22.10	1.135	0.813
Cooking loss, %	35.26^a	33.17^ab	32.94^b	1.317	0.044
Shear force, N	44.47	42.84	42.34	7.912	0.894

^abValues with different letter superscripts mean significant difference (p < .05).

¹ Treatments included basal diet (CON) and basal diets plus 1 g/kg of raw dandelion (RD) and enzyme-treated dandelion (ED).

Table 5. Effect of enzyme-treated and raw dandelion on apparent nutrient digestibility of broilers, %.

Items	Treatments^1			SEM	p-Value
	CON	RD	ED
Starter 1–21 days
Dry matter	68.18	71.76	71.22	0.383	0.103
Organic matter	72.42^b	75.53^a	75.03^a	1.665	0.038
Crude protein	61.44	64.09	64.16	1.233	0.073
Ether extract	68.52^b	69.96^ab	72.99^a	1.735	0.037
Finisher 22–42 days
Dry matter	71.42	71.45	73.43	2.172	0.296
Organic matter	75.75	75.53	77.65	1.954	0.249
Crude protein	53.54^b	57.95^ab	61.87^a	3.699	0.015
Ether extract	56.49	54.79	57.58	4.810	0.663

^abValues with different letter superscripts mean significant difference (p < .05).

¹ Treatments included basal diet (CON) and basal diets plus 1 g/kg of raw dandelion (RD) and enzyme-treated dandelion (ED).

Table 6. Effect of enzyme-treated and raw dandelion on serum immune indices of broilers.

Items	Treatments^1			SEM	p-Value
	CON	RD	ED
D 21
IgA, μg/mL	140.66^b	159.23^a	158.65^a	12.913	0.035
IgG, μg/mL	2376.67^b	2397.04^b	2 706.30^a	148.475	0.004
IgM, ng/mL	137.72^b	146.40^b	171.39^a	13.991	0.024
IL-10, pg/mL	82.78^b	82.69^b	90.24^a	5.435	0.048
IFN-γ, pg/mL	126.84	135.10	126.28	16.406	0.592
IL-8, pg/mL	163.33	154.44	158.66	8.906	0.298
IL-1β, pg/mL	140.16	130.65	138.23	8.835	0.296
D 42
IgA, μg/mL	133.10^b	143.49^ab	147.90^a	10.672	0.043
IgG, μg/mL	2570.46^b	2808.43^a	2943.61^a	123.118	0.004
IgM, ng/mL	127.80	134.24	133.28	8.810	0.458
IL-10, pg/mL	93.04	86.97	91.02	6.843	0.364
IFN-γ, pg/mL	119.28^b	132.49^ab	141.96^a	15.783	0.039
IL-8, pg/mL	124.85	116.83	118.43	10.272	0.347
IL-1β, pg/mL	135.11	132.94	139.56	9.226	0.131

^abValues with different letter superscripts mean significant difference (p < .05).

¹ Treatments included basal diet (CON) and basal diets plus 1 g/kg of raw dandelion (RD) and enzyme-treated dandelion (ED).