Dietary fenugreek leaf powder improves growth performance, immune function, antioxidant status, and intestinal health in yellow-feathered broilers.
Hao Cao, Zhengying Qiu, Xin He, Qiyu Bai, Shaoguang Ge, Xiongwei Shi, Yujia Liu, Ruihua Xin
Abstract
Open AccessThe study investigates the potential of fenugreek leaf powder (FLP) as a natural feed additive to improve growth performance and intestinal health in yellow-feathered broilers, with a focus on immune function, antioxidant capacity, and gut microbiota regulation. A total of 240, 21-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to four groups, each with six replications and 10 chickens per replication: a control group receiving a basal diet and three groups supplemented with 0.5 %, 1 %, or 2 % FLP for 42 days. Results showed that dietary supplementation with 0.5 % and 1 % FLP significantly improved average daily gain and feed intake (P < 0.05). FLP supplementation enhanced immune function, as reflected by increased serum immunoglobulin levels and immune organ indices (P < 0.05), and improved antioxidant capacity, evidenced by increased antioxidant enzyme activity and reduced lipid peroxidation (P < 0.05). Intestinal morphology was improved, shown by increased duodenal villus height (VH) and better villus height-to-crypt depth (VH/CD) ratios (P < 0.05). FLP also modulated the expression of genes associated with nutrient transport, barrier function, antioxidant defense, and inflammation (P < 0.05). Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that FLP supplementation altered cecal microbial composition. In conclusion, dietary FLP supplementation improves growth performance and intestinal health in broilers, supporting its potential as a natural and cost-effective alternative to antibiotic feed additives in poultry production.