Evaluation of the effects of an emulsifier and two lipid sources on growth performance and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of including an emulsifier (soybean lecithin) and two lipid sources (soybean oil and chicken fat) on the performance and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 576 one-day-old Cobb® 500 male chicks were housed in a completely randomized design, with treatments divided in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (with and without emulsifier and two lipid sources - soybean oil or chicken fat), totaling four treatments with eight replications and 18 chicks per plot. The experimental diets were formulated to be isoenergetic and isoproteic. The use of chicken fat improved the live weight at the starter rearing stage. However, the use of the emulsifier improved the live weight at the grower and finisher phases. No interaction effect was observed between treatments for performance. The intestinal morphology showed an increase in duodenal villus height with the use of chicken fat and emulsifier. The ileum had an increase in villus height in chickens fed the diet with soybean oil and emulsifier. Supplementation of the emulsifier resulted in positive results in the live weight of chickens at 35 and 42 days of age, in addition to increasing the villus height in the small intestine.