Effects of lysophospholipid supplementation to lower nutrient diets on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and blood metabolites in broiler chickens

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of dietary lysophospholipid (LPL) supplementation on low-energy, crude protein, and selected amino acids on growth performance, intestinal morphology, blood metabolites, inflammatory response, and carcass traits in broiler chickens. A total of 300 one-day-old male chicks (Ross 308) were assigned to 5 treatments, with 6 replications of 10 birds each in a completely randomized design. The 5 treatments were: positive control (PC) without LPL supplementation and adequate in all nutrients, negative control (NC) without LPL, and reduced 150 kcal/kg of metabolizable energy and reduced 5 to 6% of crude protein and selected amino acids including Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp in a calculated amount relative to the PC, NC + 0.05% LPL (LPL05), NC + 0.10% LPL (LPL10), and NC + 0.15% LPL (LPL15). Feeding LPL linearly improved growth performance, feed conversion ratio, ether extract, and protein digestibility. LPL supplementation on low-energy and nitrogenous diets showed significant enhancements in metabolic profiles of blood glucose, protein utilization, and immune system functions. These improvements influenced carcass composition, especially in relative weights of pancreas and breast muscle. In contrast, LPL addition showed no significant effects on relative weights of immune organs, gizzard, and abdominal fat. The NC birds were more susceptible to inflammation via modulating the secretion of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and increasing crypt depth in the jejunal and duodenal segments. However, the inclusion of 0.05% LPL to the NC diet could alleviate inflammation with increased jejunal villi height, ratio of villi height to crypt depth, and decreased IL-1 level. Overall, LPL promotes growth performance, nutrient utilization, gut health, anti-inflammation, and muscle yields when applied to diets of broiler chickens with lower levels of energy, crude protein, and selected amino acids.