Journal of Environmental Biology

Effects of pitamin on growth performance, carcass characteristics

and cecal microflora of broiler chicken

Author Details

Byung-Sung Park

(Corresponding author)

Department of Animal Biotechnology, College of Animal Life Science, Kangwon National University,

Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 200-701, Republic of Korea

e-mail: bspark@kangwon.ac.kr

Publication Data

Paper received:

5 April 2010

Revised received:

10 October 2010

Accepted:

20 November 2010

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of dietary pitamin as an antibiotic replacement in broiler chicken. The treated groups were as follows: 1) the control, 2) the antibiotics (8 mg of avilamycin kg^-1 of diet) and 3) the pitamin (70 mg of pitamin kg^-1 of diet) groups. Body weight gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency were significantly higher in the pitamin group than in the antibiotics and control groups (p<0.05). Carcass weight, dressing percentage, and the weight of breast and thigh muscle recorded significantly higher levels in the pitamin group as compared to the other groups (p< 0.05). The addition of pitamin to the diets for broilers reduced abdominal fat by 23.35% and stimulated the growth of the thymus, the spleen, and the bursa of Fabricius. TAG levels of the pitamin group declined by 12.03 and 10.45% as compared to the control and antibiotics groups, and their TC levels were reduced by 15.17 and 14.39%, and LDL.C levels were reduced by 10.56 and 11.24%, respectively. Serum IgG was increased significantly by 137.43 and 36.80% in the pitamin group as compared to the control and antibiotics groups, respectively (p< 0.05). The numbers of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus on the cecum digesta were significantly higher in the pitamin group than in the antibiotics and control groups and the numbers of Escherichia coli and Salmonella tended to be reduced (p<0.05). In conclusion, when Korean red pine bark extract, pitamin, was added to the broiler diets at a concentration of 70 mg of pitamin kg^-1 of diet, it resulted in better growth performance as compared to the antibiotics by improving immunity and the cecal beneficial microfloral population.

Key words

Pine bark extract, Pitamin, Broiler chicken, Immunoglobulin, Cecal microorganisms

Copyright ? 2011 Triveni Enterprises. All rights reserved. No part of the Journal can be reproduced in any form without prior permission. Responsibility regarding the authenticity of the data, and the acceptability of the conclusions enforced or derived, rest completely with the author(s).