Emmanuel Sola Samson, Loh Teck Chwen, Foo Hooi Ling, Akit Henny, Aziz Muhamad Faris Ab, Chung Eric Lim Teik
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
Vet World. 2025 Jul;18(7):1911-1921. doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.1911-192. Epub 2025 Jul 17.
Antibiotic resistance has spurred interest in alternative feed additives for poultry. Wood vinegar (WV), a by-product of plant pyrolysis, contains bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of WV supplementation through drinking water on the cecal microbial population, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, antioxidant enzyme activity, and apparent ileal nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens.
A total of 432 1-day-old male Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to six groups (n = 72 per group; 6 replicates of 12 birds each). Treatments included a negative control (T), a positive control with 0.02% oxytetracycline (T), and WV-supplemented groups at dilution ratios of 1:100 (T), 1:200 (T), 1:500 (T), and 1:1000 (T) in drinking water. The experiment lasted 35 days. Plasma antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], total antioxidant capacity [T-AOC]), VFA profiles, ileal digestibility (crude protein [CP], ash, ether extract [EE]), and cecal microbial populations were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using the General Linear Model and Duncan's multiple range tests (p < 0.05).
WV supplementation enhanced antioxidant status, with significant increases in GPx (T and T) and T-AOC (T), while CAT and SOD remained unaffected. T significantly elevated acetic, butyric, and total VFA levels. WV-treated birds (T-T) showed reduced , , and counts and increased bifidobacteria and total bacteria compared with controls. T showed the highest digestibility of CP, while T significantly improved ash and EE digestibility.
WV supplementation, particularly at a 1:200 dilution (T), effectively improved gut microbial balance, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, and promoted nutrient digestibility. These results support WV as a viable natural alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in broiler production.
抗生素耐药性激发了人们对家禽替代饲料添加剂的兴趣。木醋液（WV）是植物热解的副产品，含有具有抗氧化和抗菌特性的生物活性化合物。本研究旨在评估通过饮水添加木醋液对肉鸡盲肠微生物种群、挥发性脂肪酸（VFA）浓度、抗氧化酶活性和回肠表观养分消化率的影响。
总共432只1日龄雄性科宝500肉鸡随机分为六组（每组n = 72只；每组12只鸡，共6个重复）。处理包括一个阴性对照组（T1）、一个添加0.02%土霉素的阳性对照组（T2），以及在饮水中以1:100（T3）、1:200（T4）、1:500（T5）和1:1000（T6）稀释比例添加木醋液的组。实验持续35天。评估血浆抗氧化酶（超氧化物歧化酶[SOD]、过氧化氢酶[CAT]、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶[GPx]、总抗氧化能力[T-AOC]）、VFA谱、回肠消化率（粗蛋白[CP]、灰分、乙醚提取物[EE]）和盲肠微生物种群。使用一般线性模型和邓肯多重范围检验进行统计分析（p < 0.05）。
添加木醋液提高了抗氧化状态，GPx（T4和T5）和T-AOC（T4）显著增加，而CAT和SOD不受影响。T2显著提高了乙酸、丁酸和总VFA水平。与对照组相比，木醋液处理组（T3 - T6）的大肠杆菌、沙门氏菌和产气荚膜梭菌数量减少，双歧杆菌和总细菌数量增加。T5显示CP的消化率最高，而T4显著提高了灰分和EE的消化率。
添加木醋液，特别是在1:200稀释度（T4）时，有效改善了肠道微生物平衡，增强了抗氧化酶活性，并促进了养分消化率。这些结果支持木醋液作为肉鸡生产中抗生素生长促进剂的一种可行的天然替代品。
