Use of condensed fermented corn extractives (liquid steep liquor) as a potential alternative for organic acids and probiotics in broiler ration

Figures & data

Table 1. Ingredient and calculated and analysed composition of the diets (g/kg) on as fed basis.

	(g/kg)
Ingredients	Starter (0 − 11 days)	Grower (12 − 24 days)	Finisher (25 − 42 days)
Corn	472.4	511.3	562
Soybean meal, 420 g/kg CP	436	394.3	341.6
Soybean oil	45.2	55.4	61.5
Dicalcium phosphate	20	17	15.4
Limestone	12	9	7.2
Sodium chloride	3.7	3.7	3.7
Vitamin premix^a	2.5	2.5	2.5
Mineral premix^b	2.5	2.5	2.5
DL – methionine, 990 g/kg	3.3	2.9	2.6
L- lysine HCl, 780 g/kg	1.5	0.9	0.7
L-Threonine	0.9	0.5	0.3
Calculated composition (g/kg)
Metabolizable Energy (Mj/kg)	12.55	12.97	13.38
Crude protein (CP)	230	215	195
Total P	7.5	7.1	6.8
Available P	4.8	4.3	3.9
Calcium	9.6	8.7	7.8
Lysine	14.2	12.7	1.14
Methionine	5.3	5.2	4.5
Methionine + Cysteine	10.04	9.5	8.3
Threonine	9.4	8.7	8.3
Analysed composition
CP	234	217	198
Total phosphorous	7.7	7.1	6.2
Calcium	10.8	9.1	8.4

^aVitamin premix supplied the following per kg of diet: transretinol: 13 mg; cholecalciferol: 0.5 mg; a tocopherol acetate: 80 mg; menadione: 3 mg; thiamine: 3 mg, riboflavin: 8 mg; pyridoxine: 5 mg; cyanocobalamin: 0.017 mg; nicotinic acid: 60 mg; folic acid: 2 mg; Ca pantothenate: 20 mg; choline: 1000 mg

^bThe mineral premix provided the following per kg of diet: Mn: 120 mg; Zn: 110 mg; Cu: 16 mg; I: 1.25 mg; Se: 0.3 mg and Fe: 20 mg

Table 2. Production parameters such as body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio from one to 21 days of age.

	1–7 days			1–14 days			1–21 days
Treatments	FCR	FI	BW	FCR	FI	BW	FCR	FI	BW
Control	0.860	140^abc	163^ab	1.322	527^a	401	1.646	1299^a	794
CSL (1 cc/kg)	0.846	142^a	168^a	1.344	528^a	393	1.636	1270^a	779
CSL (2 cc/kg)	0.868	134^bc	155^ab	1.326	516^ab	391	1.610	1253^ab	780
Formic acid (1 cc/kg)	0.896	129^c	144^b	1.360	500^b	370	1.590	1184^b	744
Formic acid (2 cc/kg)	0.868	136^bc	158^ab	1.316	522^ab	399	1.588	1254^ab	794
LAB (1 × 10^8 CFU/g)	0.846	134^bc	158^ab	1.266	520^ab	412	1.616	1282^a	794
SEM	0.03	2.41	6.06	0.04	7.11	14.39	0.05	25.23	26.40
p value	.745	.012	.050	.733	.050	.465	.918	.050	.748

^a–dMeans within a column without a common superscript significantly differ (p < .05)

Body weight gain (g/period); FI: feed intake (g/period); FCR: feed conversion ratio (g of feed/g of body weight gain); CSL: corn steep liquor; LAB: lactic acid bacteria

There were six broilers per pen and five pens per diet. Pens means were used to calculate each treatment means.

Table 3. Production parameters such as body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio from 21 to 42 d of age.

	1– 28 days			1–35 days			1– 42 days
Treatments	FCR	FI	BW	FCR	FI	BW	FCR	FI	BW
Control	1.914	2445	1282	2.206^a	3938	1792	2.204	5431	2471
CSL (1 cc/kg)	1.918	2399	1254	2.212^ab	3894	1836	2.190	5385	2463
CSL (2 cc/kg)	1.858	2362	1277	2.061^ab	3853	1876	2.076	5346	2580
Formic acid (1 cc/kg)	1.764	2315	1341	1.999^b	3807	1906	2.094	5298	2533
Formic acid (2 cc/kg)	1.846	2394	1300	2.044^ab	3889	1909	2.088	5385	2586
LAB	1.956	2444	1227	2.110^ab	3933	1867	2.170	5425	2506
SEM	0.06	45.14	43.58	0.12	44.36	51.43	0.15	44.77	64.41
p value	.348	.327	.911	.049	.313	.596	.291	.315	.650

^a–dMeans within a column without a common superscript significantly differ (p < .05).

Body weight gain (g/period); FI: feed intake (g/period); FCR: feed conversion ratio (g of feed/g of body weight gain); CSL: corn steep liquor; LAB: lactic acid bacteria.

There were six broilers per pen and five pens per diet. Pens means were used to calculate each treatment means.

Table 4. pH content of gastrointestinal tract, ileal morphology and ileal and caeca microbial population at Days 14 in broilers fed diets supplemented with different additives.

Treatment	pH					Ileal morphology					Microbial population
	Proventriculus	Gizzard	Duodenum	Jejunum	ILEUM	Villi length (µm)	Crypt depth (µm)	Villi/crypt ratio	Lamina propria thickness (µm)	Epithelial cell layer thickness (µm)	Ileal			Caeca
											Salmonella (log10 cfu/g of DM)	E. coli (log10 cfu/g of DM)	Coliforms (log10 cfu/g of DM)	Salmonella (log10 cfu/g of DM)	E. coli (log10 cfu/g of DM)	Coliforms (log10 cfu/g of DM)
Control	3.58^bc	2.72^b	5.66^ab	5.24^c	6.48^a	481.56^a	83.81	5.79^ab	33.71	89.39^ab	4.72	6.06	8.96	6.23	8.25	8.24
CSL (1 cc/kg)	3.12^c	2.48^b	4.80^b	5.40^c	5.02^b	456.19^ab	85.79	5.31^b	35.65	79.61^bc	6.25	6.69	9.23	8.24	8.37	8.34
CSL (2 cc/kg)	3.72^bc	3.72^a	5.82^ab	5.50^bc	5.84^ab	462.29^ab	81.26	5.68^ab	38.23	93.75^a	4.83	7.85	8.97	8.07	8.20	8.35
Formic acid (1 cc/kg)	4.02^bc	2.58^b	6.00^a	5.76^abc	6.16^ab	380.28^ab	70.02	5.42^b	29.56	63.93^d	7.26	7.86	8.77	8.37	8.32	8.35
Formic acid (2 cc/kg)	4.66^ab	2.84^b	5.80^ab	6.02^ab	5.72^ab	361.35^b	61.70	5.91^ab	31.18	67.10 ^cd	6.11	7.54	7.20	7.84	7.92	8.27
LAB	5.48^a	3.22^ab	6.20^a	6.18^a	6.32^ab	383.04^ab	58.76	6.60^a	27.88	65.95 ^cd	6.08	8.07	9.11	7.84	8.27	8.09
SEM	0.45	0.24	0.34	0.41	0.18	35.75	8.08	0.31	3.78	4.39	1.57	0.94	0.77	0.66	0.14	0.15
p Value	.015	.013	.018	.006	.050	.012	.114	.04	.294	.001	.86	.622	.464	.269	.340	.815

^a–dMeans within a column without a common superscript significantly differ (p < .05)

CSL: corn steep liquor; LAB: lactic acid bacteria.

Table 5. Blood characteristics at Days 14 and 42 in broilers fed diets supplemented with different additives.

	Plasma lipid profile								Differential cell counts
	14 days				42 days				14 days					42 days
	TC (mg/dL)	Triglycerides (mg/dL)	HDL-C (mg/dL)	LDL-C (mg/dL)	TC (mg/dL)	Triglycerides (mg/dL)	HDL-C (mg/dL)	LDL-C (mg/dL)	Heterophil (%)	Lymphocytes (%)	Monocytes (%)	Eosinophils (%)	Heterophil/ lymphocyte ratio	Heterophil (%)	Lymphocytes (%)	Monocytes (%)	Eosinophils (%)	Heterophil/ lymphocyte ratio
Control	122.00	70.50	108.00	15.50	124.60^ab	102.00^ab	66.60^bc	16.80^b	15.67	69.33	13.33	1.33^b	0.23^b	28.00^d	58.40^a	11.60	3.80	0.47^b
CSL (1 cc/kg)	140.50	90.00	132.00	11.50	119.80^b	76.80^c	75.80^a	17.00^b	17.00	65.67	16.33	1.00^b	0.26^b	31.40^d	53.80^ab	11.40	3.40	0.58^b
CSL (2 cc/kg)	137.50	84.00	13.00	13.00	121.40^b	88.20^abc	63.60^c	24.00^ab	34.00	52.67	9.33	4.00^b	0.65^a	33.80 ^cd	58.60^a	5.20	2.40	0.57^b
Formic acid (1 cc/kg)	148.50	98.50	135.00	10.50	139.40^a	107.00^a	74.00^ab	25.80^a	28.00	58.00	10.00	4.00^b	0.48^ab	42.80^b	47.40^abc	8.40	1.40	0.89^ab
Formic acid (2 cc/kg)	106.00	62.00	95.00	9.00	122.80^ab	84.00^bc	76.00^a	19.60^ab	18.00	68.33	4.00	9.66^a	0.26^b	53.00^a	36.00^c	8.40	2.60	1.47^a
LAB	154.50	71.50	138.00	13.00	127.00^ab	91.40^abc	73.00^ab	18.00^b	26.00	54.00	15.33	4.66^b	0.48^ab	41.60^bc	44.80^bc	10.80	2.80	0.93^ab
SEM	14.50	32.01	14.64	1.94	5.31	6.16	2.66	2.30	6.15	6.42	4.81	1.45	0.07	2.86	3.75	2.32	1.16	0.16
p- Value	.31	.96	.35	.36	.015	.020	.011	.041	.280	.32	.510	.011	.043	.001	.002	.37	.76	.011

^a–dMeans within a column without a common superscript significantly differ (p < .05)

TC: total cholesterol; LDL-C: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL-C: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; CSL: corn steep liquor; LAB: lactic acid bacteria.

Table 6. Humoral immune responses to inactivated Newcastle disease and avian influenza vaccines and carcase analysis of broilers fed diets supplemented with different additives.

	Humoral immune response to the vaccine				Carcase analysis (14 days)
	31 days		42 days		(g/100 g live bodyweight)									(cm/100 g live bodyweight)
	Newcastle Disease	Avian Influenza	Newcastle Disease	Avian Influenza	Carcase	Breast	Thigh	Liver	gizzard	spleen	Duodenum	Jejunum	Ileum	Duodenum	Jejunum	Ileum
Control	0.66	4.33	0.60	2.80^c	61.33	24.21^b	13.76	2.35	3.05^ab	0.085^ab	1.39	3.24	1.88^c	5.21	11.83	8.83
CSL (1 cc/kg)	0.66	4.33	0.80	3.80^b	61.36	24.64^b	14.62	2.88	3.49^a	0.096^ab	1.44	3.48	2.37^abc	5.63	12.26	8.93
CSL (2 cc/kg)	1.33	4.41	1.00	4.80^a	56.01	32.40^ab	19.86	2.82	3.35^ab	0.113^a	1.54	3.47	2.93^ab	5.11	10.31	10.09
Formic acid (1 cc/kg)	1.33	4.66	1.20	4.20^ab	61.20	31.80^ab	20.74	3.03	2.99^b	0.064^b	1.42	4.26	2.91^bc	4.93	11.63	7.76
Formic acid (2 cc/kg)	1.66	4.00	1.00	3.80^b	54.62	34.98^a	20.42	2.50	3.39^ab	0.101^ab	1.34	3.32	3.28^a	4.91	11.10	11.01
LAB	0.66	4.00	0.4	4.40^ab	56.19	33.14^ab	19.75	2.98	3.29^ab	0.092^ab	1.70	3.31	1.97^bc	4.75	11.39	8.09
SEM	0.33	0.27	0.28	0.21	9.52	2.92	1.92	0.35	0.131	0.01	0.15	0.32	0.27	0.62	1.23	1.13
p Value	.19	.54	.421	.001	.248	.014	.133	.684	.017	.019	.589	.346	.047	.92	.891	.920

^a–dMeans within a column without a common superscript significantly differ (p < .05)

CSL: corn steep liquor; LAB: lactic acid bacteria.

Data availability statement

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.