Work

Effects of Ganoderma Lucidum supplementation on the growth performance, biochemical blood parameters, antioxidant and immunity status, and meat quality in slow-growing broilers

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: SUMMARY Ganoderma Lucidum ( G. lucidum ) is an edible mushroom and it has been used as a medicinal fungus for centuries. We evaluated the efficacy of G. lucidum on the growth performance, biochemical blood parameters, antioxidant and immunity status, and meat quality in slow-growing broilers . A total of 216 one-day-old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups: a basal control diet with 0 mg/kg ( G. lucidum ), 300 mg/kg ( G. lucidum ), and 600 mg/kg ( G. lucidum ) for 50 d. The findings showed that G. lucidum showed an insignificant improvement in body weight and average body weight gain ( P = 0.06 (during the early fattening period, and reduced the mortality rate ( P < 0.001). In addition, dietary G. lucidum imposed changes in plasma indices, in a dose- and age-dependent manner. G. lucidum treatments increased plasma levels of superoxide dismutase activity ( T-SOD ) and interferon gamma ( IFN-γ ) at 21 d of age and decreased plasma activity of aspartate aminotransferase ( AST ) at 50 d of age. Compared to the control group, the levels of plasma urea nitrogen ( UN ) and inducible nitric oxide synthase ( iNOS ) decreased ( P < 0.05) at a low dose of 300 mg G. lucidum /kg and interleukin 6 ( IL-6 ) increased at a high dose of 600 mg G. lucidum /kg at 21 d of age. Plasma immunoglobulin A ( IgA ) levels increased ( P < 0.05) at a high dose of 600 mg G. lucidum /kg, while malondialdehyde ( MDA ) decreased at a low dose of 300 mg G. lucidum /kg at 50 d of age. A significant increase ( P < 0.05) in succinate dehydrogenase ( SDH ) activity in the liver was observed in birds fed 600 mg G. lucidum /kg. G. lucidum treatments increased ( P = 0.003) mRNA expressions of jejunal B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 ( Bcl-2 ). No differences were observed in the physicochemical indices of meat, except for redness (a*), which was lower ( P = 0.02) in birds fed G. lucidum at a high dose of 600 mg/kg compared to the control diet. The findings suggest that G. lucidum would be considered as a feed supplement inclusion with possible ameliorative changes on broilers health status.

Source: The Journal of Applied Poultry Research

DOI: 10.1016/j.japr.2024.100491