Impacts of Solid-State Fermented Barley with Fibrolytic Exogenous Enzymes on Feed Utilization, and Antioxidant Status of Broiler Chickens

Doaa Ibrahim; Hassainen I El-Sayed; Elsabbagh R Mahmoud; Ghada I Abd El-Rahman; Shefaa M Bazeed; Abdelwahab A Abdelwarith; Aya Elgamal; Samah S Khalil; Elsayed M Younis; Asmaa T Y Kishawy; Simon J Davies; Abdallah E Metwally

doi:10.3390/vetsci10100594

Impacts of Solid-State Fermented Barley with Fibrolytic Exogenous Enzymes on Feed Utilization, and Antioxidant Status of Broiler Chickens

Vet Sci. 2023 Sep 27;10(10):594. doi: 10.3390/vetsci10100594.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.
² Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt.
³ Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Cairo P.O. Box 4942301, Egypt.
⁴ Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Animal Histology and Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Cairo P.O. Box 4942301, Egypt.
⁶ Department of biochemistry, drug information center, Zagazig University Hospitals, Zagazig University, Zagazig P.O. Box 44511, Egypt.
⁷ Aquaculture Nutrition Research Unit ANRU, Carna Research Station, Ryan Institute, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, H91 V8Y1 Galway, Ireland.

Abstract

The present and future high demand of common cereals as corn and wheat encourage the development of feed processing technology that allows for the dietary inclusion of other cereals of low nutritional value in poultry feeding. Barley grains contain anti-nutritional factors that limit their dietary inclusion in the poultry industry. The treatment of barley with solid-state fermentation and exogenous enzymes (FBEs) provides a good alternative to common cereals. In this study, barley grains were subjected to solid-state microbial fermentation using Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis and exogenous fibrolytic enzymes. This study aimed to assess the impact of FBEs on growth, feed utilization efficiency, immune modulation, antioxidant status and the expression of intestinal barrier and nutrient transporter-related genes. One-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308, n = 400) comprised four representative groups with ten replicates (10 chicks/replicate) and were fed corn-soybean meal basal diets with inclusions of FBEs at 0, 5, 10 and 15% for 38 days. Solid-state fermentation of barley grains with fibrolytic enzymes increased protein content, lowered crude fiber and reduced sugars compared to non-fermented barley gains. In consequence, the group fed FBEs10% had the superior feed utilization efficiency and body weight gain (increased by 4.7%) with higher levels of nutrient metabolizability, pancreatic digestive enzyme activities and low digesta viscosity. Notably, the group fed FBEs10% showed an increased villi height and a decreased crypt depth with a remarkable hyperactivity of duodenal glands. In addition, higher inclusion levels of FBEs boosted serum immune-related parameters and intestinal and breast muscle antioxidants status. Intestinal nutrient transporters encoding genes (GLUT-1, CAAT-1, LAT1 and PepT-1) and intestinal barriers encoding genes (MUC-2, JAM-2, occludin, claudins-1 and β-defensin 1) were upregulated with higher dietary FBEs levels. In conclusion, feeding on FBEs10% positively enhanced broiler chickens' performance, feed efficiency and antioxidant status, and boosted intestinal barrier nutrient transporters encoding genes.

Keywords: barley grains; broiler chickens; fibrolytic enzymes; intestinal barriers; nutrient transporters; solid state fermentation.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the researches supporting project number (RSPD2023R700), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.