Effects of dietary supplemental bile acids on performance, carcass characteristics, serum lipid metabolites and intestinal enzyme activities of broiler chickens.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of bile acids derived from swine on the growth performance, carcass traits, serum lipid metabolites and intestinal enzyme activities in broiler chickens. Four hundred thirty-two 1-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 6 replicates of 18 chicks each for 42 d. The experimental treatments received a corn-soybean basal diet containing lard and were as follows: 0 (control), 40 mg, 60 mg, and 80 mg bile acids/kg of diet. Dietary of inclusion bile acids significantly increased average daily gain and decreased feed to gain ratio from d 21 to d 42 (P < 0.01). However, average daily feed intake was unaffected by dietary supplementation with bile acids. The dressing percentage and the percentage of thigh muscle in the carcass were notably (P < 0.01) higher for broilers fed diets supplemented with 60 and 80 mg/kg bile acids. In contrast, abdominal fat weight was reduced significantly (P < 0.01). In 42-day-old broilers, serum triglyceride, high density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein concentrations were unaffected (P > 0.05) by bile acids supplementation. Supplementation with 60 and 80 mg/kg significantly increased the activity of duodenum lipase and lipoprotein lipase on d 21 and d 42, as well as decreased the activity of hormone sensitive lipase on d 42. Supplementation of diets with 60 and 80 mg/kg of bile acid can effectively enhance the activity of intestinal lipase and lipoprotein lipase and improve growth performance and carcass traits of broilers.