Effect of Lysophospholipid (LPLs) Supplementation in Diets Differing in Fat Sources on Blood Parameters, Intestinal Morphology, Ceca Microbiome and Performance in Broiler Chicks during Starter Period

 Feed cost has gradually increased in poultry production worldwide. One approach to minimizing production cost is dietary manipulation of nutrient supplies through improved feed efficiency. The inclusion of lipids in broiler diets is essential to meet metabolisable energy requirement. Great amounts of animal fats and vegetable oils are usually added to broiler diets to increase their energy content. However, several factors can affect lipids digestion, both related to the animal characteristics such as bird age, genetic strain, secretion and activity of digestive enzymes, and to the diet composition such as type of fat used as lipid supplement, ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids in the diet, presence of pentosans and dietary fiber. Within this reality, researches have been conducted to study the increased digestibility of oils and fats by emulsifying substances, such as bile salts and phospholipids. Lysophospholipid (LPL) is a more effective biosurfactant in emulsifying properties than bile salts and soy lecithin because one molecule in the hydrophobic tail is removed, indicating more stability in the aqueous environment of the gastrointestinal tract. Another action of lysophospholipids is related to the antibacterial effect. They may modify the biological structure of bacteria causing changes in membrane permeability, raising the speculation of a combined effect with organic acids on poultry gut health. The changes in membrane permeability by lysophospholipids may facilitate the ion dissociation of the organic acids inside the bacteria. In turn, the control of the intestinal microbiota through these additives could preserve the integrity of endogenous, consequently, the present study was designed to investigate the effects of dietary LPL supplementation in diets differing in fat on blood parameters, intestinal morphology, ceca microbiome and performance in broiler chicks.

This experiment was performed in a completely randomized design based on factorial arrangement to evaluate the effect of lysophospholipid supplementation (0 and 0.25g/kg) in corn-soybean meal diets containing three fat sources (soybean oil, tallow and their blend 50: 50%) and each at two levels (1.5 and 3%) with 12 isocaleric and isonitrogenous starter diets. Each diet was fed to six replicates of 10 chicks each during 1 to 14 days of age. Performance traits, jejunal morphology, serum lipid composition, cecal microbial population of one chick from each replicate were measured at day 14.

the interaction effects of lysophospholipid supplementation, fat source and fat level were not significant on broiler performance during 1 to 14 days of age, except for the lysophospholipid supplementation and fat level that was significant on feed intake in the starter period. Among the main effects only fat levels had a significant effect on body weight, body weight gain in the starter period, and 3% fat level compared to 1.5% improved body weight and body weight gain. These results are in agreement with zampiga et al, (2016) that demonstrated the addition of the lysophospholipid did not statistically improve final body weight and daily weight gain of broilers in the whole period of trial (0–42 d). These observations are partially in contrast with Melegy et al. (2010) who reported that the use of an emulsifier based on lysolecithin at the dosage of 0.25 or 0.5 kg/ton of feed significantly improved these productive parameters. Other factors may be affect on broiler performance such as inappropriate dose of lysophospholipid in diet, low energy levels of the experimental diets, use of 3 factors in the experimental design, and low bird population in each treatment that combined the effects. The Interaction effects of lysophospholipid supplementation, fat source and fat level were not significant on jejunal villus height, villus width, diameter of epithelium layer, crypt depth and villus height to crypt depth ratio. The interaction effects of lysophospholipid supplementation and fat levels in diet showed a significant effect on villus width. The effect of fat levels was significant for villus height and it increased by the use of 3% levels. The Interaction effect of lysophospholipid supplementation, fat source and fat level was not significant on the concentration of triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL and LDL in serum of broiler chicks. The interaction effect of lysophospholipid supplementation and fat level in diet was significant on the concentration of triglyceride level, and the interaction effect of lysophospholipid supplementation and fat source in diet was significant on LDL in serum lipid level of broiler chicks. The main effect of lysophospholipid supplementation was significant on the concentration of triglyceride, and also the effect of fat source was significant on cholesterol and HDL in serum of broiler chicks. The Interaction effects of lysophospholipid supplementation, fat source and fat level was not significant for lactobacillus and E-coli population in ceca. The main effect of lysophospholipid supplementation was significant increase on the lactobacillus population in ceca, and the effect of fat level in diet was significant decrease on the E-coli population in ceca.

It can be concluded in this study that of lysophospholipids supplementation did not have a significant effect on performance in broiler chickens during the starter period.