title: Effects of synbiotic supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and muscular antioxidant capacity and mineral contents in broilers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary synbiotic supplementation on growth performance, carcass composition, meat quality and muscular antioxidant capacity, and mineral contents in broilers. Accordingly, 96 day-old male broiler chicks (Arbor Acres Plus; Aviagen, Huntsville, AL, USA) were randomly allocated to two groups, and each group consisted of six replicates with eight chicks each. Birds were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet supplemented with either 0 or 1.5 g kg-1synbiotic, consisting of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis and Clostridium butyricum) and prebiotics (yeast cell wall and xylooligosaccharide) from 1 to 42 days of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, supplementation with a synbiotic increased average daily gain (P < 0.05) but reduced feed/gain ratio (P < 0.01) in broilers from 1 to 42 days of age. Similalrly, dietary synbiotic inclusion increased breast yield (P < 0.05) but decreased abdominal fat (P < 0.01) in broilers. The breast muscle pH value at 24 h postmortem in broilers was elevated with the incorporation of synbiotic (P < 0.05). By contrast, synbiotic supplementation lowered the cooking loss during heat treatment in a water bath, malondialdehyde content, and total Cr content in the thigh muscle in broilers (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dietary synbiotic supplementation into the diet of broilers may be an effective method for improving growth performance and carcass compositions, resulting in the production of meat with a favorable quality and oxidative stability. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Yefei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Yueping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaohan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Weili
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Center of Eco-material and Green Chemistry, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, PR China.|R&D Center of Xuyi Palygorskite Applied Technology, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xuyi, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Center of Eco-material and Green Chemistry, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, PR China.|R&D Center of Xuyi Palygorskite Applied Technology, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xuyi, PR China.
authors.forename: Aiqin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Yanmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005503:Food Additives / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D058616:Synbiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005503:Food Additives; D008903:Minerals
keywords: antioxidant capacity; broilers; carcass trait; chromium; meat quality; synbiotic