Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2024, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (6): 2761-2774.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2024.06.046

• Clinical Veterinary Medicine • Previous Articles    

Viola yedoensis Makino Improves the Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Gut Microbiota of Broilers Exposed to Heat Stress

Ji WANG1,2(), Xinyan ZHOU1(), Fangrui GUO1, Qiurong XU1, Dongyi WU1, Yan MAO1, Zhihang YUAN1, Jin'e YI1, Lixin WEN1, Jing WU1,*()   

  1. 1. Hunan Engineering Research Center of Livestock and Poultry Health Care, Colleges of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
    2. Changsha Lvye Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Changsha 410100, China
  • Received:2023-08-23 Online:2024-06-23 Published:2024-06-28
  • Contact: Jing WU E-mail:wangjics@163.com;zxy1085082373@163.com;wujing@hunau.edu.cn

Abstract:

This study assessed the mitigation effects of Viola yedoensis Makino (VYM) on the growth performance, meat quality, and gut microbiota of AA broilers under heat stress. Sixty 1-day-old male AA broilers were randomly allotted into 6 treatments. The NT group was fed with a standard diet at normal temperature. The NT+VYM-H group was fed the diet supplemented with 4.5% VYM at normal temperature; The HS group was fed with a standard diet under heat stress; The HS+VYM-L, HS+VYM-M, and HS+VYM-H groups were fed diets containing 0.5%, 1.5%, and 4.5% VYM under heat stress. All broilers were slaughtered at 42 days old. Growth performance, serrum biochemistry, meat quality, duodenum morphorlogy, related genes and composition of gut microbe were analyzed. Broilers fed with 1.5% VYM (w/w) had higher average daily weight gain and a lower feed intake/body weight gain (F/G) ratio under heat stress (P < 0.05). Under heat stress, VYM supplementation reduced serum HSP70 levels (P < 0.05), while the supplementation of 0.5% VYM increased duodenal lipase activity (P < 0.05), and upregulated myogenic regulatory-related mRNA (Pax3, Pax7, Myog, Myod, Myf5) expression in the breast muscle of broilers, and upregulated digestive-related mRNA (Ppara, Fatp1, B0at1, Pept1, Cat1, Eaat3) expression in the duodenum (P < 0.05). Under heat stress, 1.5% VYM supplementation decreased shearing stress and the color of meat (P < 0.05). In the cecum, VYM remarkably improved the richness of intestinal microflora (P < 0.05) and increased the abundance of Bacteroides, which was significantly positively related to meat pH (45 min). It also lowered the abundance of Subdoligranulum, which was significantly negatively correlated with duodenal amylase activity. In conclusion, under the conditions of this study, the degradation of growth performance and meat quality caused by heat stress can be reduced and the balance of intestinal flora of broilers can be regulated by the supplementation of 1.5% and 4.5% Viola yedoensis Makino in diet effectively. This work provides a valuable reference for the positive benefits of applying VYM in poultry production, giving a viable solution for coping with the high-temperature climate of poultry farming.

Key words: Viola yedoensis Makino, heat stress, broiler, growth performance, meat quality, gut microbiota

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