The study was carried out to evaluate the influence of polysaccharides from Camellia oleifera cake (CCP) in Lingnan yellow broilers diet from 1 to 50 days. Growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, blood profile, and caecum microorganisms were characterized by three different levels of 0, 200 and 800 mg/kg CCP supplementation. Dietary treatment did not affect the productive trait from 1 to 50 days of age, except that average daily feed intake decreased at 42 days of age (p < 0.05). Additionally, the effects of CCP on various organs were different. The weight (p < 0.01) and index (p < 0.05) of bursa of Fabricius gradually decreased with the higher CCP supplementation at 21 days of the broilers diet. The gizzard weights were all higher when the broilers were fed with higher CCP concentration at 21, 42, and 50 days, respectively (p < 0.05). The weight and index of the spleen increased most with low CCP concentration (200 mg/kg) at 42 and 50 days. Moreover, CCP addition had no significant effect on meat quality except cooking loss (P < 0.05) and yellowness of meat color (p < 0.05). In the study of blood metabolism at 50 days of broilers, the concentration of calcium (p < 0.01), total cholesterol (p < 0.05) and uric acid (p < 0.01) decreased with higher CCP supplementation. CCP increased the albumin concentration (p < 0.001) that was highest at 200 mg/kg CCP supplementation. The addition of CCP increased the number of Lactobacillus and Enterococcus faecalis (p < 0.01) in the caecum of broilers, and had the potential to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli (p = 0.11). Results showed that CCP played a role in improving intestinal flora and the immunity of yellow broilers.
Keywords: Camellia oleifera cake polysaccharides; blood profile; caecum microorganisms; carcass traits; growth performance; meat quality; yellow broilers.