Feed for improving immune performance of ducks

Abstract

The invention relates to a feed for improving the immune performance of ducks. 2%-8% of weed fragrance is added in the formula of the feed, and the thymus development level and the cecum acetic acid level can be improved when the feed is used for feeding the white-feather muscovy ducks, so that the food consumption, the weight and the immunity of the white-feather muscovy ducks are improved, and the production performance of the ducks can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of feed additives, and in particular to a feed for improving the immune performance of ducks. Background Art

[0002] Antibiotics are frequently added to feed to reduce stress in farmed animals and improve production efficiency. However, this use carries many potential risks. For example, long-term, low-dose antibiotic addition to duck feed has been associated with decreased thymus, bursa of Fabricius, and spleen indices in poultry. These immune organ indices reflect the strength of an animal's immune system. Furthermore, issues such as antibiotic resistance and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses are severely impacting the ecosystem and health. Therefore, to safeguard the health and productivity of food animals, it is crucial to identify alternative feed additives that can replace antibiotics.

[0003] Natural plants and their extracts have garnered significant attention from scholars and practitioners due to their comprehensive functionality, high safety, minimal side effects, resistance to drug resistance, and low residual content. Research has identified polyphenols, polysaccharides, organic acids, alkaloids, and essential oils as the primary active ingredients in natural plants, exhibiting antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, gut microbiome-modulating, and immune-enhancing properties, thereby achieving the potential to replace antibiotics. However, the only currently available Traditional Chinese Medicine alternatives are Scutellaria baicalensis Extract Powder (primarily composed of plant organic acids, such as chlorogenic acid) and Macleaya cordata Powder (primarily composed of alkaloids, such as sanguinarine).

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new plant-based feed additive that can replace antibiotics to solve the above problems and provide new plant resources and research ideas for feed additives. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve or partially solve the problems existing in the related art, the present application provides a feed additive and its application that can improve the immune organ index of ducks and regulate the level of major short-chain fatty acids in their cecum. The feed additive can improve the production performance and slaughter performance of ducks.

[0006] The present application provides a feed for improving the immune performance of ducks, wherein the main raw materials of the feed are: secondary corn, secondary wheat, double-bottom rapeseed meal and wild grass fragrance.

[0007] Furthermore, the amount of the wild grass fragrance added is 2% to 8%.

[0008] Furthermore, the added amount of the wild grass fragrance is 4%.

[0009] Furthermore, the raw materials of the feed also include: corn sugar residue A, corn starch powder residue, secondary wheat flour, corn gluten powder, fine stone powder, puffed soybeans, chicken fat and other ingredients.

[0010] Furthermore, the raw material weight proportions of the feed are: 38.1% secondary corn, 25% secondary wheat, 12% rapeseed meal, 2.5% corn sugar residue A, 8% corn starch residue, 0.157% secondary wheat flour, 1.5% corn gluten meal, 1.4% fine stone powder, 3.3% puffed soybeans, 4% wild grass fragrance, 1.5% chicken oil, and 2.543% other ingredients.

[0011] Furthermore, the specific components and mass proportions of the other ingredients are: calcium hydrogen phosphate 0.7%, sodium chloride 0.416%, L-lysine sulfate 0.725%, DL-methionine 0.15%, L-threonine 0.104%, 60% choline chloride 0.07%, poultry multivitamin 0.025%, organic poultry mineral 0.05%, complex enzyme 808B 0.03%, high temperature resistant phytase 0.01%, Tianli Golden 0.208%, 2.5% Tianli Red 0.005%, Baiweisu 0.03%, and Weishengbao 0.02%.

[0012] Beneficial effects The duck feed provided in this application contains 4% wild grass fragrance, which can improve the growth performance of ducks and significantly increase the thymus index of ducks. It has potential application value in attracting ducks and regulating the level of major short-chain fatty acids in their cecum.

[0013] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent through a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the experimental animals grouping.

[0016] Figure 2 Figure 3: Overview of cecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the blank control group (CON) and experimental group (ECP) (A) and inter-group t-test (B); A represents the overview of the short-chain fatty acid levels detected in the two groups; B represents the t-test of the same short-chain fatty acid levels between groups to confirm whether there are significant differences.

[0017] Figure 3 Represents the composition at the phylum (A), family (B), and genus (C) levels; A represents the composition of the two groups of microflora at the phylum level; B represents the composition of the two groups of microflora at the family level; C represents the composition of the two groups of microflora at the genus level.

[0018] Figure 4Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) (A) and partial least squares analysis (PLS-DA) (B); A represents the principal coordinate analysis results of the two groups of cecal microbiota; B represents the partial least squares analysis results of the two groups of cecal microbiota.

[0019] Figure 5 For LEfSe analysis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following describes embodiments of the present application in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present application, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present application more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0021] The scent of wild grass ( Elsholtzia cyprianii (Pavol.) S. Chow ex PS Hsu) belongs to the Lamiaceae family ( Labiatae ) Elsholtzia ( Elsholtzia ) is an annual herb, mainly distributed in Yunnan and Guizhou. The main components of its above-ground parts are: citral, linalool, nerol, β Volatile components such as caryophyllene and non-volatile components such as flavonoids, phenols, terpenes, fatty acids, and lignans have demonstrated promising activity in regulating inflammation, providing antioxidant activity, and inhibiting microbial activity. While food spices specified in the "Catalogue of Feed Additives" can be added to feed as flavoring and food attractants, there are currently no reports on the use of wild grass incense as an animal feed additive to improve animal slaughter performance or immunity.

[0022] The wild grass fragrance of this application is a sample harvested by the inventor after planting in Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province.

[0023] Unless otherwise specified, the reagents and materials used in the following examples were purchased from the market, and the breeding experiments were conducted at the white-feathered Muscovy duck farm of Fujian Zhangzhou Changlong Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd.

[0024] Example 1 (1) Experimental Grouping: 252 21-day-old Muscovy ducks, all females, were randomly divided into a control group (CON group) and a group supplemented with 4% wild grass powder (ECP group). Each group had six replicates, with 21 ducks in each replicate. As shown in Table 1, there were no significant differences in the mean body weights of the groups.

[0025] Table 1. Effects of adding wild grass herb powder on the growth performance of experimental ducks Note: Final body weight, weight gain, average daily gain, and average feed consumption—unit: grams (g); total feed intake—unit: kilograms (kg); final head count—unit: heads. CON: blank control group without wild grass fragrance; ECP: experimental control group with wild grass fragrance added; same below.

[0026] (2) Feed formula: The feed formula was provided by Changlong Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd., Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province. The feed composition and nutritional level are shown in (Table 2). Other added ingredients in the table are: calcium hydrogen phosphate (all 7), sodium chloride (salt, all 4.16), L-lysine sulfate (all 7.25), DL-methionine (all 1.5), L-threonine (all 1.04), 60% choline chloride (all 0.7), poultry multivitamin (all 0.25), organic poultry mineral (all 0.5), complex enzyme 808B (all 0.3), high temperature resistant phytase (all 0.1), Tianli Golden (all 2.08), 2.5% Tianli Red (all 0.05), Baiweisu (all 0.3), and Weishengbao (all 0.2).

[0027] Table 2 Composition and nutritional levels of experimental diets Note: 1 The energy of CON and ECP groups was balanced by adding puffed soybeans and chicken oil; 2 The other added ingredients were calcium hydrogen phosphate, sodium chloride (salt), L-lysine sulfate, DL-methionine, L-threonine, 60% choline chloride, poultry multivitamin, organic poultry mineral, compound enzyme 808B, high-temperature resistant phytase, Tianli Golden, 2.5% Tianli Red, 100% vitamins, and Weishengbao. The added amount of each ingredient in the two groups was the same.

[0028] (3) The entire breeding cycle is 40 days, with repeated breeding units, flat single-layer cages, free access to food and water, and other management according to the breeding procedures and immunization procedures of the duck farm (White Feather Duck Farm of Fujian Zhangzhou Changlong Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd.).

[0029] (4) Experimental data and sample collection: During the experimental period, the feed intake and residual feed amount were recorded every other day to calculate the feed consumption of each group of experimental ducks during the entire experimental period. The ducks were weighed on an empty stomach at 7:00 a.m. on the 1st and 41st days, and the live weight of each group of experimental ducks was recorded. On the 41st day, three ducks (with a weight close to the average weight of each group) were selected from each replicate and sacrificed by venous bleeding after electric anesthesia. Two of them were used for slaughter performance determination, and one was used for cecal content collection and immune organ index determination.

[0030] After 40 days of feeding, one Muscovy duck (weighing close to the average weight) was selected from each replicate of each group and killed by electric anesthesia and exsanguination. The cecal contents were collected, and the bursa of Fabricius, spleen, and thymus of the experimental Muscovy ducks were removed and weighed. The immune organ indices of the Muscovy ducks were measured. The results are shown in (Table 3). Compared with the CON group, the bursa index and thymus index of the ECP group were increased. The one-way analysis of variance showed that the thymus index of the CON and ECP groups was extremely significantly different (P < 0.01). The addition of 4% wild grass vanilla powder had a very significant effect on the thymus index of the experimental Muscovy ducks (P < 0.01).

[0031] Table 3 Effects of 4% grass powder addition on immune organ indexes of experimental ducks Note: Final body weight, weight gain, average daily gain, average feed consumption per head - unit: gram (g); total feed intake - unit: kilogram (kg); final head number - unit: head; * indicates P < 0.05; ** indicates P < 0.01.

[0032] The Bacteroidetes in the cecal microbial communities of the two experimental Muscovy ducks ( Bacteroidota ) and Firmicutes ( Firmicutes ) is the dominant phylum, accounting for about 90% ( Figure 3 A). At the family level, the dominant bacteria are Bacteroidetes ( Bacteroidaceae ), Oscillospiraceae ( Oscillospiraceae_o_Oscillospiraies )、Ruminococcaceae( Ruminococcaceae )、Lachnospiraceae( Lachnospiraceae )、Desulfovibrioaceae( Desulfovibrionaceae ), Selenomonasaceae ( Selenomonadaceae )、RIKEN Bacteria Rikenellaceae )、Peptococcus family( Peptococcaceae )wait( Figure 3 (B)). At the genus level, the dominant genus was Bacteroides vulgaris ( Phocaeicola_A ), Megamonas spp. ( Megamonas ), Blastobacterium ( Gemmiger_A ), Faecalibacterium ( Faecalibacterium )、 Lawsonibacter 、Another species of Cladosporium ( Alistipes_A ), Peptococcus ( Peptococcus ), Desulfovibrio ( Desulfovibrio )wait( Figure 3 C).

[0033] The Beta diversity index focuses on the comparison of species diversity between different habitats, that is, the differences between samples, such as ( Figure 4 As shown in A), compared with the CON group, the addition of 4% wild grass vanilla powder had no significant effect on the diversity of cecal microbiota, but the partial least squares method ( Figure 4B) The cecal microbiota structures of the CON and ECP groups were different.

[0034] LEfSe analysis found that ( Figure 5 ) The cecal bacterial groups of the two treatments were different. At the genus level, the CON group was rich in Sellimonas 、 Scybalousia , UBA11471 (c_Bacteroidia; o_Bacteroidales; f_UBA11471; g_UBA11471) was abundant in the ECP group; at the species level, abundant Sellimonas intestinalis , the ECP group detected abundant Bacteroides_H massiliensis .

[0035] The embodiments of the present application have been described above. The above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, their practical applications, or improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other persons skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A feed for improving the immune performance of ducks, characterized in that: The main raw materials of the feed are: secondary corn, secondary wheat, double-bottom rapeseed meal and wild grass fragrance.

2. The feed according to claim 1, characterized in that The added amount of the wild grass fragrance is 2% to 8%.

3. The feed according to claim 2, characterized in that The added amount of the wild grass fragrance is 4%.

4. The feed according to claim 1, characterized in that The raw materials of the feed also include: corn sugar residue A, corn starch powder residue, secondary wheat flour, corn gluten powder, fine stone powder, puffed soybeans, chicken fat and others.

5. The feed according to claim 4, characterized in that The raw materials of the feed are as follows: 38.1% secondary corn, 25% secondary wheat, 12% rapeseed meal, 2.5% corn sugar residue A, 8% corn starch residue, 0.157% secondary wheat flour, 1.5% corn gluten meal, 1.4% fine stone powder, 3.3% puffed soybeans, 4% wild grass fragrance, 1.5% chicken oil, and 2.543% other added ingredients.

6. The feed according to claim 5, characterized in that The specific ingredients and mass proportions of the other added ingredients are: calcium hydrogen phosphate 0.7%, sodium chloride 0.416%, L-lysine sulfate 0.725%, DL-methionine 0.15%, L-threonine 0.104%, 60% choline chloride 0.07%, poultry multivitamin 0.025%, organic poultry mineral 0.05%, complex enzyme 808B 0.03%, high temperature resistant phytase 0.01%, Tianli Golden 0.208%, 2.5% Tianli Red 0.005%, Baiweisu 0.03%, and Weishengbao 0.02%.

Images