The present study aimed to examine the influence of sepiolite on growth performance, meat quality, intestinal health, some blood parameters, and digestibility of nutrients in broilers fed low-protein diets with the constant energy-protein ratio. A total of 252, daily male broiler chicks were allocated to four treatment groups further divided into 9 replicates each containing 7 chicks. Low-protein diets having a constant energy-protein ratio were formulated by lowering protein and energy levels of the control group diet by 5%. Sepiolite was used at the level of 1% in the diets. After 42 days of trial, total feed consumption, total body weight gain, total feed conversion ratio, and carcass yield were not influenced by reducing protein, sepiolite supplementation, and interaction between low-protein-low-energy diet and sepiolite. Reducing protein in the diets led to reducing the digestibility of nutrients, increasing ileal viscosity, decreasing villus height, villus surface area in duodenum and jejunum, and increasing abdominal fat and ether extract, cooking losses, total oxidant status, and oxidative status index in breast meat. Sepiolite supplementation to low-protein diets increased crude protein digestibility, reduced viscosity, increased villus height/crypt depth values and reduced cooking losses, and increased water holding capacity in breast meat. Blood serum biochemical parameters and minerals were not affected by sepiolite supplementation to low-protein diets. Therefore, it is concluded that sepiolite can be added as a beneficial supplement in broiler diets as well as in low-protein diets with a constant energy-protein ratio.
Keywords: Broiler; Digestibility; Intestinal histomorphology; Low protein-low energy diet; Meat quality; Performance; Sepiolite.
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