Impact of attapulgite loaded with essential oil in diets on the growth performance and gut microbiota of broilers: a correlation analysis
This experiment aimed to examine the influences of different concentrations of attapulgite loaded with essential oil (ATP-EO) on growth performance, caecal microflora, and their correlation in broilers. In this study, 960 one-day-old female chicks were randomly divided into groups A, B, C, and D, wi...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Italian Journal of Animal Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2025.2486400 |
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| Summary: | This experiment aimed to examine the influences of different concentrations of attapulgite loaded with essential oil (ATP-EO) on growth performance, caecal microflora, and their correlation in broilers. In this study, 960 one-day-old female chicks were randomly divided into groups A, B, C, and D, with each group containing six replicates of 40 chicks. Group A received a basal diet, while groups B, C, and D were equipped with 500, 750, and 1000 g/t ATP-EO, respectively. The experiment lasted 42 days. The outcomes revealed that dietary ATP-EO supplementation quadratically increased the final body weight (BW) of chicks (pQ < 0.05), while linearly and quadratically increased the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of chicks (pL < 0.05; pQ < 0.05). The addition of ATP-EO linearly and quadratically to the diet reduced the abundance of Euryarchaeota and Campilobacterota at the phylum level (pL < 0.05; pQ < 0.05). At the genus level, ATP-EO addition exhibited a quadratic relationship with caecal Bacteroides abundance (pQ < 0.05) and a linear and quadratic relationship with caecal Phascolarctobacterium abundance (pL < 0.05; pQ < 0.05). Analysis of Spearman correlation demonstrated that Firmicutes and the feed-weight rate (F/G) were negatively correlated (p < 0.05), and Bacteroidota was positively associated with F/G (p < 0.05). Besides, Alistipes with BW and ADFI; and Parabacteroides with death rate were positively related (p < 0.05). In conclusion, adding ATP-EO to the diet improves broilers’ growth performance by enhancing intestinal flora, and the appropriate addition level is 750 g/t. |
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| ISSN: | 1594-4077 1828-051X |