Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Bilberry Extract on Growth Performance, Immune Function, Antioxidant Capacity, and Meat Quality of Yellow-Feathered Chickens

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of bilberry extract on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant status, and immune function of yellow-feathered chickens. A total of 360 female hatchling Lingnan chickens were randomly allocated to three treatments with 6 replicates of 20 chickens per replicate. Birds were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (the control group), 100 (B100), and 400 (B400) mg/kg of bilberry extract for 63 d. Compared with the controls, (1) dietary supplementation with bilberry extract did not affect the growth performance of chickens from 1 to 63 d. (2) At 21 d, the relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius was increased (p p p p p p p p p p < 0.05); treatments did not affect inosinic acid or intramuscular fat contents. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of yellow-feathered chickens with bilberry extract enhanced the relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius, and broadly increased activities of antioxidant enzymes; indices of meat quality were improved without impact on growth performance. Considering the results in the current research, 100 mg/kg bilberry extract was recommended when supplemented in chickens.

Keywords

• antioxidant capacity
• bilberry extract
• immune function
• meat quality
• yellow-feathered chickens