ABSTRACT

1. The effect of Foeniculi aetheroleum essential oil (EO) on growth performance, nutrient utilisation, serum biochemistry, immune response, ileum morphology, microbial population and meat quality of broiler chickens fed a corn- or wheat-based diet were determined.

2. A total of 360 broiler chickens were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial assay in a completely randomised design with six replicates and 15 birds per experimental unit. Birds were fed corn- or wheat-based diets supplemented with (200 mg/kg) or without fennel EO.

3. Birds fed wheat-based diets had lower BWG and FCR during grower period and lower FI during finisher period as compared to those fed corn-based diet (P < 0.05) whereas addition of fennel EO decreased chickens BWG during finisher period and EPEF, both in wheat or in corn-based diets. Dietary treatments had no effect on serum glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, AST, ALT, ALP, and MDA concentrations (P < 0.05).

4. Antibody titres against avian influenza and sheep red blood cell antibody titres, crude protein and crude fat utilisation, villus height, crypt depth and epithelium thickness were not influenced by dietary treatments (P > 0.05). Inclusion of Fennel EO to the corn-based diet resulted in greater villus width and villus surface area while it reduced lamina propria thickness (P < 0.05). Fennel EO reduced ileal E. coli and Lactobacillus spp. populations (P < 0.05). Dietary treatments had no significant effect on meat pH, cooking loss, drip loss, crude protein, crude fat content and cholesterol concentration of breast and thigh meat, total phenolic and MDA concentrations, and breast meat sensory parameters (P > 0.05).

5. These results showed that addition of fennel EO to wheat-based diets had a negative effect on chicken growth performance variables and decreased gut E. coli populations. However, immunity, meat quality and nutrient utilisation were not affected by dietary treatments.

摘要

1. 测定了小茴香精油 (EO) 对饲喂以玉米或小麦为主的日粮的肉鸡的生长性能、营养利用、血清生化、免疫反应、回肠形态、微生物种群和肉质的影响。

2. 总共 360 只肉鸡被安排在 2 × 2 因子分析中，采用完全随机设计，每个实验单元 6 个重复和 15 只鸡。鸡只饲喂以玉米或小麦为基础的日粮，辅以（200 mg/kg）或不添加茴香 EO。

3. 与饲喂以玉米为基础的日粮相比，饲喂小麦基日粮的鸡在生长期间的 BWG 和 FCR 较低，在育肥期的 FI 较低（P < 0.05），而添加茴香 EO 会降低育肥期鸡的 BWG 和 EPEF，无论是在小麦还是以玉米为基础的饮食中。饮食治疗对血糖、甘油三酯、胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、AST、ALT、ALP和MDA浓度没有影响（P < 0.05）。

4.禽流感抗体滴度和绵羊红细胞抗体滴度、粗蛋白和粗脂肪利用率、绒毛高度、隐窝深度和上皮厚度均不受饮食处理的影响（P > 0.05）。将茴香 EO 添加到以玉米为基础的饮食中会导致更大的绒毛宽度和绒毛表面积，同时降低固有层的厚度（P < 0.05）。茴香 EO 减少了回肠大肠杆菌和乳酸杆菌属。人群（P < 0.05）。日粮处理对胸肉和大腿肉的pH值、蒸煮损失、滴水损失、粗蛋白、粗脂肪含量和胆固醇浓度、总酚和MDA浓度、胸肉感官参数没有显着影响（P > 0.05）。

5. 这些结果表明，在以小麦为基础的日粮中添加茴香 EO 对鸡的生长性能变量有负面影响，并减少了肠道大肠杆菌数量。然而，免疫、肉质和营养利用不受饮食处理的影响。