Applied Studies Of Bamboo Extract In High-quality Meat Chicken Cultivation

Meat chicken as one favorable source for quality protein is being consumed in large quantities worldwide. In recent years, the development of natural feed additives (especially plant-derived products) is gaining increasing attention as resistance and side effects of antibiotics for animal feed are becoming better understood and the ideas of "returning to nature" and "green consumption" have taken roots. Green Bamboo Extract (GBE) is a new type of feed additive from bamboo leaves, shavings and shoots. GBE is rich in bamboo secondary metabolites with total phenol8%～30%, polysaccharide5%～15%and total triterpenoid3%～10%. This master’s thesis targeted Hong Kong-produced yellow meat chicken (ShiQi beard chicken) fed with GBE-added feed to investigate the effects of GBE as a functional feed additive on high quality meat chicken breeding.36026-day ShiQi beard chickens were randomly put into four groups (each group represented by three replicates of30birds each):control group, low GBE group, medium and high GBE groups, respectively. Meat chicken in the control group were fed with basal diet while meat chicken in experimental groups were fed with basal diet supplemented with1.5、3.0、6.0g/kg GBE, respectively. The experiment lasted for49days. Each group was randomly selected9meat chicken. Test data were collected to examine the effects of GBE on immune function lipid metabolism、meat quality and nutritional ingredients of meat chicken. The results were as follows1.Effects of GBE on immune function of meat chicken:compared with control group, GBE-added basal-diet-fed chicken scored higher on thymus index, bursal index and had higher serum lysozyme activity and significantly increased contents of serum immunoglobulin IgA and IgM (P<0.05). Results indicated that feed added with GBE as feed additive played a significant role in promoting immunity.2.Effects of GBE on lipid metabolism of meat chicken:compared with control group, basal diet added with GBE had significant effects on reduction of meat chicken abdominal fat, thickness of subcutaneous fat, liver fat content and serum triglyceride levels(P<0.05). Basal diet added with GBE also improved unsaturated fatty acid in scale and the proportion of essential fatty acids in the chicken. However, there was no notable effect on body weight, serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein content (P>0.05).The experimental groups showed a significant improvement in meat chicken serum leptin level, adiponectin content and antioxidant enzymes activity(P<0.05).The serum leptin level and adiponectin content were significantly correlated with the body fat deposition index (The absolute value of the Pearson correlation coefficient>0.6). Comprehensive analysis of various indexes showed that the group supplemented with3.0g/kg GBE had better lipid metabolism. It could be concluded that GBE as a meat chicken feed additive can effectively regulate lipid metabolism and reduce subcutaneous, abdominal and liver fat deposition in meat chicken.3.Effects of GBE on meat quality and nutritional ingredients in meat chicken: Compared with control group, addition of GBE had significant effects on the improvement of chest muscle fat content, adhesion, flexibility and chicken pH value after the chicken had been slaughtered for45min (P<0.05). Addition of GBE also decreased the drip loss rate and hardness of chest muscle (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the contents of essential, total amino acids and the proportion of delicious, salty amino acids significantly increased (P<0.05) as well as the contents of K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn etc.(P<0.05). It was revealed that GBE as a meat chicken feed additive could significantly improve its taste and nutritional value. Addition of GBE at3g/kg diet showed the best results.In summary, GBE as a feed additive can significantly improve non-specific immune functions in meat chicken and help reduce the use of antibiotics and other veterinary drugs. It can also effectively regulate the lipid metabolism in meat chickens and help to product low-fat meat chickens;It contributes to improve the taste and nutritional value of chicken and helps to produce high quality chicken. To conclude, Green Bamboo Extract (GBE) is a safe, effective and multifunctional natural plant feed additive that has great potential in meat chicken and other livestock and poultry feeding.