Effects of In Ovo Seaweed Polyphenols and Fucoidans on Performance and Gut Health of Broiler Chickens Challenged with Diet-induced Oxidative Stress

Eliminating in-feed antibiotics while maintaining the gastrointestinal and overall health of chickens is a strong priority of the poultry industry. Demonstrated immunomodulatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of seaweed extracts could be used to enhance chicken gut health. The present study evaluated an early nutritional intervention to enhance the intestinal health of chickens. Seaweed polyphenols or fucoidans (Fucus spp.) were administered in ovo to chicken embryos via the air sac route on incubation day 17.5. In a randomized complete block design, 504 incubating eggs (9 treatments * 4 blocks * 14 eggs per experimental unit) were used to test five experimental and four control treatments. The experimental treatments administered (0.5ml injection dose for all) were: 0 mg/ml bioactive (saline), 30 mg/ml polyphenols, 60 mg/ml polyphenols, 30 mg/ml fucoidans or 60 mg/ml fucoidans via in ovo injection. The chicks were raised to day 14 on a standard grower diet, then oxidative stress was induced from days 15-28 with an oxidized dietary fat (5%) challenge (oxidized diet). Two challenged controls were fed a standard diet until day 14 then switched to oxidized diets (one medicated, one non-medicated) from days 15-28. Two non-injected, unchallenged controls were fed standard diets (one medicated, one non-medicated) throughout the entirety of the trial. The hatchability and mean hatch weight of all treatments were similar (p>0.05), except the 60 mg/ml fucoidans treatment, which had a significantly lower hatch rate, but not mean hatch weight, than the other treatments. During the grow-out stage, the mean body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were similar among all treatments, despite the diet-induced dietary stress some treatments experienced. This was expected, as the challenge was intended to induce intestinal stress, not impair growth. Ileal tissue oxidative status and intestinal microbiome data, as assessments of the gut health status of the chickens administered the experimental treatments, are pending and will be presented at the conference.

Presented at the 2022 Animal Nutrition Conference of Canada. For information on the next edition, click here.