Investigation of the using possibilities of aqueous extract of sea buckthorn leaf as an antimicrobial feed additive in broiler diets

This study was planned to investigate the effects of supplementation of sea buckthorn leaf aqueous extract (SBLAE) as an antimicrobial feed additive to broiler diets on growth performance, carcass yield, small intestine microorganism content and meat quality. A total of 600 day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 5 treatments with 5 replicates of 24 chicks each. The experimental diets were control (CONT): corn-soybean meal based on control diet; SBLAE200, SBLAE400, SBLAE600 and SBLAE800 diets were prepared by supplementation of SBLAE at the levels of 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg, respectively, to the CONT diet. The CONT, SBLAE200, SBLAE400 and SBLAE600 diets significantly increased the body weight gain of broilers at 0-6 weeks compared to feding with SBLAE800 diet, while the experimental diets did not significantly affect the final body weight of broilers. In addition, feding with SBLAE400 diet significantly decreased the feed consumption of broiler chickens at the age of 0-6 weeks compared to the CONT, SBLAE200, SBLAE600 and SBLAE800 diets, while the SBLAE400 diet significantly improved their feed conversion ratio compared to other trial diets except SBLAE200 diet. Feeding with SBLAE200 and SBLAE400 diets also significantly increased the cold carcass yield of broiler chickens compared to feding with CONT, SBLAE600 and SBLAE800 diets, while feding with SBLAE400 diet significantly increases the hot carcass yield of broiler chickens compared to feding only with SBLAE800 diet. Feeding only SBLAE400 diet significantly increased the ileum Lactobacillus content of broilers at 42 days compared to feding with CONT, SBLAE200, SBLAE600 and SBLAE800 diets while feding with SBLAE200, SBLAE400, SBLAE600 and SBLAE800 diets significantly reduced the ileum E. coli content of broilers on the 42nd day compared to the CONT diet. According to the results of the research; feding with SBLAE200, SBLAE400, SBLAE600 and SBLAE800 diets significantly increased the pH value of breast meat of broiler chickens at 24 hours compared to CONT diet. In addition, feding with SBLAE400 diet significantly reduced the drip losses of breast meat of broilers on the 7th day compared to feding with CONT, SBLAE200, SBLAE600 and SBLAE800 diets. As a result; it can be reported that the supplementation of SBLAE at the level of 400 mg/kg into the broiler diet as an antimicrobial feed additive in terms of growth performance (body weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio), hot and cold carcass yields, microorganism content of the small intestine and drip loss of breast meat on the 7th day gave the positive results.