Effects Of Aronia Melanocarpa Pomace On Liver Lipid Metabolism And Cecal Microflora Of Post-peak Laying Hens

Aronia melanocarpa is a shrub of the Rosaceae family,native to eastern North America,and has been introduced and cultivated in large quantities in northeast China.Because the fruit contains tannin,it is not suitable for direct consumption.It is usually processed into fruit juice,fruit wine,jam,and fruit vinegar.As a by-product of processing,Aronia melanocarpa pomace contains a variety of active ingredients,such as anthocyanins,proanthocyanidins,and other polyphenols,as well as dietary fiber,which has good feeding development value.In this study,the effects of Aronia melanocarpa pomace on performance,liver lipid metabolism,and cecum microflora of laying hens were investigated by applying Aronia melanocarpa pomace to the feed of post-peak laying hens.The purpose of this study is to provide a basis for the development and utilization of Aronia melanocarpa pomace.The main experimental results are shown as follows:(1)A total of 240 Hy-line brown laying hens(46 weeks of age)were randomly divided into 4 groups(1 control group and 3 treatment groups)with 6 replicates of per group,and 10 hens of each replicate.The four groups were supplemented with 0%(control group),1%,2%,and 3% Aronia melanocarpa pomace,respectively.The experiment lasted for 15 weeks.The results showed that the addition of 3% Aronia melanocarpa pomace in the diet could significantly increase the laying rate,crude fiber metabolism rate,and crude lipid metabolism rate of laying hens(P<0.05).(2)The supplementation of Aronia melanocarpa pomace increased the content of high density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum,decreased the content of low density lipoprotein cholesterol in liver,the proportion of liver lipid drop area,and the lipid deposition in the liver of laying hens(P<0.05).(3)The addition of Aronia melanocarpa pomace in diet increased the height of jejunum villus and the ratio of villus to crypt of laying hens(P<0.05).The Aronia melanocarpa pomace could increase the relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus UCG-005 in cecum.The contents of short-chain fatty acids were increased,while the p H was decreased in cecum of laying hens(P<0.05).In conclusion,the addition of Aronia melanocarpa pomace might regulate the intestinal environment of laying hens by improving jejunum morphology,increasing the abundances of beneficial bacteria(e.g.Lactobacillus)and the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids in cecum,and thus have beneficial effects on liver lipid metabolism and performance of laying hens.This study could provide technical support for the comprehensive utilization of Aronia melanocarpa pomace waste and the development of feed components of post-peak laying hens.