Butyric acid has received great attention as a feed additive to maintain or increase the gut integrity and health of broiler chickens. Particularly, the protection of butyrate is under research to allow slow intestinal release of butyric acid and to promote its beneficial effects throughout the intestine. This study evaluated in vivo the intestinal release of butyric acid from sodium butyrate protected by salts of medium-chain fatty acid in broilers. Brilliant blue was used as an inert marker, so it was included in the feed additive that broilers ingested for two days. The gastrointestinal tract was then colored in blue from jejunum and backward. Considering the digesta color of the broilers non-supplemented as blank, it allowed quantification of the amount of brilliant blue, and consequently, butyric acid delivered in the intestine from the protected feed additive. Few traces of butyric acid were released in the duodenum and proximal jejunum, whereas the major amount (45.9%) was delivered in the distal ileum (p < 0.001). These results suggest that this in vivo approach allows for evaluation of the intestinal delivery of butyric acid supplemented as protected sodium butyrate by medium-chain fatty acids, showing a gradual intestinal release of butyric acid in broiler chickens.
Keywords: broiler; butyric acid; feed additive; gut health; intestinal release; medium-chain fatty acid; protected butyrate.