Philippine E-Journals

EFFECT OF BOVINE LACTOFERRIN ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND INTESTINAL HISTOLOGIC FEATURES OF BROILERS

Sonia P. Acda | Amado A. Angeles | Maria Cynthia R. Oliveros | Florinia E. Merca | Florante A. Cruz | Aira Therese A. Aguirre

 

Abstract:

A 42-day feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of bovine lactoferrin (bLf) on the performance and intestinal histological features of broilers. Three hundred straight-run day-old Cobb broilers were distributed to five treatments following a completely randomized design: basal diet without bLf or chlortetracycline (CTC), diet with 1 g CTC 15%/kg feeds and diets with 130, 260 and 520 mg bLf/kg feed offered during the starter stage. Metabolizability of nutrients, performance parameters and intestinal villi height and crypt depth were determined. Nutrient digestibility and apparent metabolizable energy of feeds with 130 and 260 mg bLf/kg feed were the same (P>0.05) with the CTC-supplemented feeds. Bovine Lf did not affect (P>0.05) the feed intake and livability of birds. Body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were improved (P<0.05) when bLf was added in the diet and were comparable (P>0.05) to broilers fed diets with CTC. Villi height increased (P<0.05) as bLf was increased in the diet up to 260 mg/kg feed, but decreased at 520 mg/kg feed which was comparable to CTC-fed birds. Crypt depth improved (P<0.05) when broilers were fed diets with either CTC or bLf. Results suggested that bLf can be used as replacement for CTC.