Abstract:
Objective Effects dietary inclusion of Chinese herbal extract, Compound T, on Escherchia coli and gut microbiota populations, meat productivity, and immune organ indices of squabs were studied.
Method Based on a liquid medium inhibition assay, the inhibition rates on E. coli of Compound T (containing mainly the effective compounds of tricaprilin, myrtenol, isopropyl myristate, menthol, and camphor) in the volume percentages of 1.0000%, 0.5000%, 0.2500%, 0.1250%, 0.0625%, 0.0313%, 0.0156%, and 0.0078%, along with 100 mg·L−1 and 50 mg·L−1 of ampicillin as control, were determined. One-hundred-eighty 10-d-old white Carneau squabs raised by their parent pigeons were randomly divided into 3 groups with 5 replicates of 12 birds each. The squabs in Group CT were fed on a basal diet as control, while those in Group T1 and Group T2 on the basal diet with 313 mg·kg−1 and 625 mg·kg−1 Compound T, respectively, by introgastric oral feeding till they were 30-d-old. Gut microbiota population, muscle buildup, immune organ indices, meat quality, and serum biochemistry of the birds were measured.
Result (1) The inhibition of Compound T on E. coli declined after 0.0625% with reducing dosage. Nonetheless, the rate was significantly higher than those of the two antibiotic control groups so long as the dosage was greater than 0.0313% (P<0.05). The half inhibitory concentrations, IC50, of Compound T at 12 h and 24 h were 0.0632% and 0.0426%, respectively. (2) The gut microbiota in the squabs of Group T2 had significantly more Bifidobacteria than the other groups (P<0.05) and significantly more Lactobacillus than CT (P<0.05). (3) The average feed-to-weight gain ratio of the squabs in Group T2 was significantly lower and the Fabricii index and breast muscle proportion significantly higher than those in Group CT (P<0.05). (4) There were no significant differences among the groups on pH, water loss, and breast meat shear measurement, nor on the serum aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, urea nitrogen, and uric acid indices (P>0.05).
Conclusion Compound T displayed a significant inhibitory effect on E. coli. It also improved the probiotic population in the guts, meat quality and productivity, as well as immune functions of the squabs fed with the supplementation at a rate of 625 mg·kg−1.