Maintaining intestinal microflora balance in heat-stressed broilers using dietary creeping wood sorrel (Oxalis corniculata) powder and chromium (chromium picolinate)

• Saracila, Mihaela ^[2] ; Panaite, Tatiana D. ^[2] ; Tabuc, Cristina ^[2] ; Soica, Cristina ^[2] ; Untea, Arabela ^[2] ; Varzaru, Iulia ^[2] ; Wojdyło, Aneta ^[1] ; Criste, Rodica D. ^[2]
  1. [1] Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences

     Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences

     Breslavia, Polonia

     
  2. [2] National Research-Development Institute for Animal Biology and Nutrition (IBNA), Calea Bucuresti, 1, Balotesti, 077015, Ilfov
• Localización: Spanish journal of agricultural research, ISSN-e 2171-9292, ISSN 1695-971X, Vol. 18, Nº. 3, 2020
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • This study aimed to determine the effect of dietary creeping wood sorrel powder (Oxalis corniculata) and chromium supplemented to broilers (1-42 days) exposed to heat stress, on their performance and on the intestinal and caecal microbiota.Area of study: Ilfov, RomaniaMaterial and methods: The feeding trial was conducted on 60, day-old Cobb 500 broilers, divided equally in two groups, each group with six replicates (5 chicks/ replicate). The broilers were housed in an experimental hall at 32° C constant temperature and 23h light regimen. Unlike the dietary control diet (C), the experimental diet (E) was supplemented with 1% creeping wood sorrel powder and 20 mg chromium picolinate/ kg premix. One bird from each replication was slaughtered on days 28 and 42, and samples of caecal and intestinal content were collected for bacteriological analysis.Main results: The dietary creeping wood sorrel powder and chromium supplements for heat-stressed broilers had no significant influence on their growth performance (1-42 d). Overall, E diet had a beneficial effect on the balance of the caecal microflora; however, in the intestine, E diet had a positive influence on the balance of the intestinal microflora, only for the samples collected at 28 days.Research highlights: Dietary creeping wood sorrel powder and chromium supplements can be an efficient tool for maintaining a proper balance of intestinal microflora in heat-stressed broilers.