Chinese herbal medicine feed additive for improving production performance of laying hens

Abstract

The invention provides a Chinese herbal medicine feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens, and relates to the field of feed additives, and the Chinese herbal medicine feed additive is composed of eleven traditional Chinese medicines of glossy privet fruit, radix astragali, purslane, wolfberry, isatis root, honeysuckle, plantain herb, cape jasmine, jujube, burdock and radix bupleuri. The Chinese herbal medicine feed additive disclosed by the invention can regulate the activity of antioxidant enzymes in ovarian granular cells of laying hens, reduce release of inflammatory factors and effectively relieve cell injury and inflammatory response caused by oxidative stress; besides, the additive can improve the laying rate and the average egg weight of laying hens, reduce the feed-egg ratio and enhance the eggshell strength and the Haff unit, so that the production performance of the laying hens is improved, the egg quality is remarkably improved, the reproductive hormone level of the laying hens can be adjusted, the antioxidant enzyme activity is enhanced, and the organism is protected from oxidative damage; therefore, the health level and the production performance of the laying hens are improved, and a novel, safe and effective strategy is provided for improving the production performance of the laying hens.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of feed additives, and in particular to a Chinese herbal medicine feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens. Background Art

[0002] my country is a major country in laying hen breeding, and eggs have always occupied a dominant position in the egg consumer goods market in my country. In the modern poultry farming industry, the production performance of laying hens is directly related to the economic benefits of farmers. The production performance of laying hens is mainly reflected in egg production rate, egg quality and the health of laying hens. However, with the rapid development of large-scale and intensive breeding, laying hens are facing various stress factors, such as high temperature, high-density breeding, environmental pollution, etc., all of which may affect the production performance of laying hens. Although existing additives may improve the production performance of laying hens in the short term, long-term use is prone to lead to problems such as drug residues, environmental pollution and animal drug resistance, which is not conducive to the sustainable development of poultry farming. Therefore, how to effectively improve the production performance of laying hens has become an important issue that needs to be urgently solved in the current poultry farming industry.

[0003] In recent years, Chinese herbal feed additives have become a research hotspot due to their naturalness, low residue and multi-target regulatory effects. As a natural source of medicine, Chinese medicine has a long history of medicinal use. It can improve the self-repair ability and disease resistance of livestock and poultry by regulating the physiological functions of the body, thereby achieving the purpose of improving production performance. Modern research has found that polysaccharides in Chinese herbal medicines can regulate the immune system of laying hens and enhance their disease resistance; vitamins may affect the reproductive system of laying hens and increase egg production; organic acids can improve the digestive function of laying hens and increase the absorption and utilization rate of nutrients, thereby helping to improve egg quality. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a Chinese herbal feed additive that can not only meet the needs of the laying hen breeding industry to improve production performance, but also solve the problems of safety and effectiveness limitations of existing additives. Summary of the invention

[0004] 1. Technical issues to be solved

[0005] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a Chinese herbal medicine feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens.

[0006] (II) Technical solution

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0008] The invention provides a Chinese herbal medicine feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens. The Chinese herbal medicine feed additive consists of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 10-30 parts of Ligustrum lucidum fruit, 10-30 parts of Astragalus membranaceus, 8-30 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 7-30 parts of Lycium barbarum fruit, 5-25 parts of Isatis indigotica root, 1-20 parts of Honeysuckle flower, 1-20 parts of Plantain, 1-20 parts of Gardenia jasminoides, 2-25 parts of jujube, 1-22 parts of Arctium lappa and 1-15 parts of Bupleurum chinense.

[0009] Furthermore, the Chinese herbal feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 15-25 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 15-25 parts of Astragalus, 13-25 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 12-25 parts of Lycium barbarum, 10-20 parts of Isatis root, 5-15 parts of Honeysuckle, 5-15 parts of Plantain, 5-15 parts of Gardenia, 7-22 parts of Jujube, 5-17 parts of Burdock, and 3-9 parts of Bupleurum.

[0010] Furthermore, the Chinese herbal feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 20 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 20 parts of Astragalus, 18 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 17 parts of Lycium barbarum, 15 parts of Isatis root, 10 parts of Honeysuckle, 10 parts of Plantain, 10 parts of Gardenia, 12 parts of Jujube, 7 parts of Burdock, and 5 parts of Bupleurum.

[0011] The present invention provides a method for preparing a Chinese herbal medicine feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens, comprising the following steps:

[0012] (1) Weigh the raw materials according to the above weight proportions, wash, dry, and crush, and sieve through a 24-mesh sieve to obtain a coarse powder;

[0013] (2) The coarse powder is ultrafinely ground to obtain the Chinese herbal medicine feed additive of the present invention.

[0014] The invention provides application of the Chinese herbal medicine feed additive in preparing poultry feed for improving production performance of laying hens.

[0015] Furthermore, the added amount of the Chinese herbal feed additive is 5-20g / kg.

[0016] The pharmacological effects of the Chinese medicinal components in the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention are as follows:

[0017] Fructus Ligustri Lucidi: sweet and bitter in taste, cool in nature, enters the liver and kidney meridians; has the effects of nourishing the liver and kidney, improving eyesight and blackening hair; used for liver and kidney yin deficiency, dizziness and tinnitus, soreness of waist and knees, premature graying of hair, blurred vision, internal heat and thirst, bone steaming and hot flashes.

[0018] Astragalus: sweet in taste, slightly warm in nature, enters the lung and spleen meridians; has the effects of tonifying qi and raising yang, consolidating the exterior and stopping sweating, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, promoting fluid and nourishing blood, relieving stagnation and relieving arthritis, removing toxins and discharging pus, and healing sores and promoting tissue regeneration; used for qi deficiency and fatigue, poor appetite and loose stools, sinking of qi in the middle, long-term diarrhea and prolapse of the anus, bloody stool and metrorrhagia, spontaneous sweating due to exterior deficiency, qi deficiency and edema, internal heat and thirst, blood deficiency and sallow complexion, hemiplegia, pain and numbness, carbuncles that are difficult to heal, and long-term sores that do not heal.

[0019] Portulaca oleracea: sour in taste, cold in nature, enters the liver and large intestine meridians; has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, cooling blood and stopping bleeding, and stopping dysentery; used for heat-toxic bloody dysentery, carbuncles, furuncles, eczema, erysipelas, snake and insect bites, blood in the stool, hemorrhoidal bleeding, and metrorrhagia.

[0020] Lycium barbarum: sweet in taste, neutral in nature, enters the liver and kidney meridians; has the effects of nourishing the liver and kidneys, improving essence and improving eyesight; used for deficiency of essence, soreness of waist and knees, dizziness and tinnitus, impotence and spermatorrhea, internal heat and thirst, blood deficiency and sallow complexion, and blurred vision.

[0021] Isatis root: bitter in taste, cold in nature, enters the heart and stomach meridians; has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, cooling blood and relieving sore throat; used for plague toxins, fever and sore throat, warm toxins causing spots, mumps, sore throat, red sha, big head plague, erysipelas, and carbuncles.

[0022] Honeysuckle: sweet in taste, cold in nature, enters the lung, heart and stomach meridians; has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, and dispersing wind-heat; used for carbuncles, furuncles, throat paralysis, erysipelas, heat-toxic bloody dysentery, wind-heat colds, and fever due to febrile diseases.

[0023] Plantain: sweet in taste, cold in nature, enters the liver, kidney, lung and small intestine meridians; has the effects of clearing away heat, promoting diuresis, relieving stranguria, removing phlegm, cooling blood and detoxifying; used for hot stranguria, edema and oliguria, diarrhea due to summer heat and dampness, cough due to phlegm and heat, vomiting blood, epistaxis, carbuncles and sores.

[0024] Gardenia: bitter in taste, cold in nature, enters the heart, lung, and triple burner meridians; has the effects of purging fire and relieving restlessness, clearing heat and removing dampness, cooling blood and detoxifying, and can be used externally to reduce swelling and relieve pain; used for restlessness due to febrile disease, jaundice due to damp heat, painful and astringent stranguria, vomiting and bleeding due to blood heat, red and swollen eyes, fire poison sores, and external treatment of sprains and bruises.

[0025] Jujube: sweet in taste, warm in nature, enters the spleen, stomach, and heart meridians; has the effects of tonifying the middle and replenishing Qi, nourishing blood and calming the mind; used for spleen deficiency, poor appetite, fatigue, loose stools, and irritability in women.

[0026] Burdock seed: spicy and bitter in taste, cold in nature, enters the lung and stomach meridians; has the effects of dispersing wind-heat, clearing the lungs and relieving rashes, detoxifying and relieving sore throat; used for wind-heat colds, coughs with sputum, measles, rubella, sore throat, mumps, erysipelas, carbuncles and sores.

[0027] Bupleurum: It tastes pungent and bitter, is slightly cold in nature, and enters the liver, gallbladder, and lung meridians; it has the effects of dispersing and reducing fever, relieving liver depression, and raising Yang Qi; it is used for colds and fever, alternating chills and heat, chest and flank pain, irregular menstruation, uterine prolapse, and rectal prolapse.

[0028] (III) Beneficial effects

[0029] The present invention provides a Chinese herbal feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens, wherein the Chinese herbal feed additive is composed of eleven Chinese medicinal materials including Ligustrum lucidum, Astragalus, Portulaca oleracea, Lycium barbarum, Radix Isatidis, Flos Lonicerae, Herba Plantaginis, Gardenia jasminoides, Jujube, Fructus Arctii, and Radix Bupleuri. The Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention can regulate the activity of antioxidant enzymes in ovarian granulosa cells of laying hens, reduce the level of oxidative stress, and thus alleviate cell damage caused by oxidative stress; at the same time, the additive can significantly reduce the release of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-1β, and has a significant anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention can improve the egg production rate and average egg weight of laying hens, reduce the feed-egg ratio, increase the eggshell strength and Haugh unit, effectively improve the production performance of laying hens, and significantly improve the egg quality; further, the additive can increase the CAT, GSH, SOD, T-AOC content in serum, reduce the MDA content, increase the E2, FSH, P4, LH levels, enhance the antioxidant enzyme activity of laying hens, protect the body from oxidative damage, and regulate the level of reproductive hormones in the body, thereby improving the health level and production performance of laying hens. Therefore, the present invention provides a new and effective strategy for improving the health status and production performance of laying hens, and has broad application prospects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 Comparison of serum antioxidant indexes of laying hens in each group. Note: Compared with the control group, * P<0.05, ** P<0.01.

[0031] Figure 2 Comparison of reproductive hormone indexes in the serum of laying hens in each group. Note: Compared with the control group, * P<0.05, ** P<0.01. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in combination with the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] A Chinese herbal medicine feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens. The additive consists of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 20 parts of Ligustrum lucidum fruit, 20 parts of Astragalus membranaceus, 18 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 17 parts of Lycium barbarum fruit, 15 parts of Isatis indigotica root, 10 parts of Honeysuckle flower, 10 parts of Plantain, 10 parts of Gardenia jasminoides, 12 parts of jujube, 7 parts of Arctium lappa and 5 parts of Bupleurum chinense.

[0035] Example 2

[0036] The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the Chinese herbal feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 12 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 12 parts of Astragalus, 10 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 9 parts of Lycium barbarum, 7 parts of Isatis indigotica, 5 parts of Honeysuckle, 3 parts of Plantain, 5 parts of Gardenia, 5 parts of Jujube, 3 parts of Burdock, and 2 parts of Bupleurum.

[0037] Example 3

[0038] The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the Chinese herbal feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 30 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 30 parts of Astragalus, 30 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 30 parts of Lycium barbarum, 25 parts of Isatis root, 20 parts of Honeysuckle, 20 parts of Plantain, 20 parts of Gardenia, 20 parts of Jujube, 22 parts of Burdock, and 15 parts of Bupleurum.

[0039] Example 4

[0040] The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the Chinese herbal feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 28 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 28 parts of Astragalus, 26 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 24 parts of Lycium barbarum, 22 parts of Isatis root, 18 parts of Honeysuckle, 18 parts of Plantain, 18 parts of Gardenia, 20 parts of Jujube, 15 parts of Burdock, and 12 parts of Bupleurum.

[0041] Example 5

[0042] The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the Chinese herbal feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 15 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 15 parts of Astragalus, 13 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 12 parts of Lycium barbarum, 10 parts of Isatis root, 8 parts of Honeysuckle, 8 parts of Plantain, 6 parts of Gardenia, 9 parts of Jujube, 5 parts of Burdock, and 4 parts of Bupleurum.

[0043] Example 6

[0044] The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the Chinese herbal feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 10 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 10 parts of Astragalus, 8 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 7 parts of Lycium barbarum, 5 parts of Isatis root, 1 part of Honeysuckle, 1 part of Plantain, 1 part of Gardenia, 2 parts of Jujube, 1 part of Arctium, and 1 part of Bupleurum.

[0045] Example 7

[0046] The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the Chinese herbal feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 25 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 25 parts of Astragalus, 23 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 21 parts of Lycium barbarum, 20 parts of Isatis root, 15 parts of Honeysuckle, 15 parts of Plantain, 15 parts of Gardenia, 17 parts of Jujube, 11 parts of Burdock, and 9 parts of Bupleurum.

[0047] Example 8

[0048] The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the Chinese herbal feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 22 parts of Ligustrum lucidum, 22 parts of Astragalus, 20 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 18 parts of Lycium barbarum, 17 parts of Isatis root, 12 parts of Honeysuckle, 12 parts of Plantain, 10 parts of Gardenia, 15 parts of Jujube, 9 parts of Burdock, and 7 parts of Bupleurum.

[0049] Test Example 1

[0050] 1 Materials and methods

[0051] 1.1 Preparation of the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention

[0052] Experimental group 1: 20 parts of Ligustrum lucidum fruit, 20 parts of Astragalus membranaceus, 18 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 17 parts of Lycium barbarum, 15 parts of Isatis root, 10 parts of Honeysuckle, 10 parts of Plantain, 10 parts of Gardenia, 12 parts of Jujube, 7 parts of Arctium fruit, and 5 parts of Bupleurum.

[0053] Experimental group 2: 18 parts of purslane, 17 parts of wolfberry, 15 parts of isatis root, 10 parts of honeysuckle, 10 parts of plantain, 10 parts of gardenia, 12 parts of jujube, 7 parts of burdock, and 5 parts of bupleurum.

[0054] Experimental group 3: 20 parts of Ligustrum lucidum fruit, 20 parts of Astragalus membranaceus, 10 parts of Honeysuckle, 10 parts of Plantago, 10 parts of Gardenia, 12 parts of Jujube, 7 parts of Arctium fruit, and 5 parts of Bupleurum.

[0055] Experimental group 4: 20 parts of Ligustrum lucidum fruit, 20 parts of Astragalus membranaceus, 18 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 17 parts of Lycium barbarum fruit, 15 parts of Isatis indigotica root, 12 parts of Jujube, 7 parts of Arctium lappa, and 5 parts of Bupleurum chinense.

[0056] Experimental group 5: 20 parts of Ligustrum lucidum fruit, 20 parts of Astragalus membranaceus, 18 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 17 parts of Lycium barbarum, 15 parts of Isatis indigotica root, 10 parts of Honeysuckle, 10 parts of Plantago, and 10 parts of Gardenia.

[0057] Weigh each raw material according to the above weight proportions, wash, dry, crush, soak in water for 30 minutes, boil for 2 hours, filter to obtain the filtrate, and concentrate the filtrate to a drug mass concentration of 1.03 g / mL to obtain the test 1-5 groups of Chinese medicine stock solutions, which are placed in a 4°C refrigerator for use.

[0058] 1.2 Isolation and culture of ovarian granulosa cells from laying hens

[0059] After euthanizing 40-week-old Hy-Line gray laying hens, the entire ovarian tissue was removed, washed with 0.9% saline to remove blood stains, and placed in a saline solution containing 3% penicillin and streptomycin. Under sterile conditions, 6-8 mm small yellow follicles were peeled off and placed in PBS, the follicles were punctured, and the granulosa cell membrane was separated. The granulosa cell membrane was collected, 1 mL of 1.2 mg / mL type II collagenase solution was added, and digested in a 37°C water bath for 9 minutes. The digestion was terminated with 1 mL of 4°C pre-cooled M199 complete medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% penicillin and streptomycin (hereinafter referred to as "complete medium"), filtered through a 200-mesh cell sieve, and the filtrate was centrifuged at 1200 rpm for 6 minutes. The cell pellet was collected and resuspended, and repeated twice. The complete medium was prepared to a concentration of 1×10 5 The cell suspension was kept at 37°C and 5% CO 2 Culture in an incubator.

[0060] 1.3 Antioxidant index detection

[0061] The laying hen ovarian granulosa cells were divided into 1×10 4 Each well was inoculated with 100 μL of H2O in a 96-well plate. After 24 h of culture, the cells were divided into a blank control group, a model control group, and experimental groups 1-5, with 3 replicates in each group. Except for the blank control group, the other groups were inoculated with 50 μmol / L H2O. 2 O 2 The cells were treated with the solution for 6 hours. Experimental groups 1-5 were treated with 20 μmol / L of the above-mentioned traditional Chinese medicine stock solution, and the blank control group and the model control group were given an equal volume of complete culture medium. Cell samples were collected after 24 hours, and after ultrasonic disruption, the contents of CAT, SOD, and MDA in granulosa cells of laying hens' ovaries were detected using a kit.

[0062] 1.4 Detection of inflammatory factor levels

[0063] The laying hen ovarian granulosa cells were divided into 1×10 4 Each well was inoculated in a 96-well plate, 100 μL per well. After 24 hours of culture, it was divided into a blank control group, a model control group, and test groups 1-5, with 3 replicates in each group. 50 μL of complete medium containing 50 μmol / L of the original solution of the Chinese medicine in test groups 1-5 was added to the test groups 1-5, and the blank control group and the model control group were given an equal volume of complete medium. After 1 hour, 50 μL of LPS with a final concentration of 1 μg / mL was added to each well for stimulation. After continuing to culture for 24 hours, the supernatant was collected and the secretion levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the supernatant were determined according to the instructions of the ELISA kit.

[0064] 1.5 Statistical methods

[0065] All data were processed using Graphpad Prism 8.0 software and presented as mean ± standard deviation. When the data series of each group were normally distributed, ANOVA was used for variance analysis. When the variances were equal, LSD-test was used for inter-group comparison; when the variances were unequal, Dunnett's test was used for inter-group comparison. The difference was considered statistically significant when P < 0.05.

[0066] 2 Results

[0067] 2.1 Effects of various drugs on antioxidant indexes of ovarian granulosa cells in laying hens

[0068] As shown in Table 1, compared with the blank control group, the CAT and SOD contents of ovarian granulosa cells of laying hens in the model control group were significantly reduced, and the MDA content was significantly increased (P<0.01); compared with the model control group, the CAT and SOD contents of each drug-treated group were increased, and the MDA content was decreased. Among them, the CAT and SOD contents of the experimental group 1 increased most significantly, and the MDA content decreased the most, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). This shows that the protective effect of the drug in the experimental group 1 on the antioxidant capacity of the ovarian granulosa cells of laying hens is the most obvious, which can effectively reduce oxidative stress damage and maintain normal cell function. Although the other experimental groups also showed a certain antioxidant effect, the effect was relatively weak.

[0069] Table 1 Comparison of antioxidant indexes of ovarian granulosa cells of laying hens in each group

[0070] Grouping CAT (U / mL) SOD(U / mL) MDA (nmol / mL) Blank control group 8.38±1.03 88.75±5.74 8.37±0.95 Model control group <![CDATA[3.25±1.08 ## ]]> <![CDATA[39.51±5.39 ## ]]> <![CDATA[35.57±3.40 ## ]]> Test Group 1 <![CDATA[7.58±1.08 ** ]]> <![CDATA[72.68±5.24 ** ]]> <![CDATA[12.40±2.03 ** ]]> Test Group 2 4.61±1.19 45.19±4.15 31.75±2.08 Experiment 3 groups 5.25±0.93 51.62±7.51 30.33±2.17 Test 4 groups <![CDATA[6.17±0.32 ** ]]> <![CDATA[61.54±5.70 ** ]]> <![CDATA[20.58±2.04 ** ]]> Test 5 groups <![CDATA[6.89±0.55 ** ]]> <![CDATA[69.34±2.76 ** ]]> <![CDATA[17.54±2.27 ** ]]>

[0071] Note: Compared with the blank control group, # P<0.05, ## P<0.01; compared with the model control group, * P<0.05, ** P<0.01.

[0072] 2.2 Effects of various drugs on the levels of inflammatory factors in ovarian granulosa cells of laying hens

[0073] As can be seen from Table 2, compared with the blank control group, the expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in ovarian granulosa cells of laying hens in the model control group were significantly increased (P<0.01); compared with the model control group, the TNF-α and IL-1β contents in each medication group were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). Among them, the reduction effect of the experimental group 1 was particularly significant, indicating that the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention has a significant anti-inflammatory effect and can effectively reduce the expression levels of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-1β in ovarian granulosa cells of laying hens.

[0074] Table 2 Comparison of inflammatory factor levels in ovarian granulosa cells of laying hens in each group

[0075] Grouping TNF-α(pg / mL) IL-1β (pg / mL) Blank control group 16.57±2.84 46.23±3.60 Model control group <![CDATA[55.93±3.10 ## ]]> <![CDATA[85.50±2.64 ## ]]> Test Group 1 <![CDATA[23.30±3.24 ** ]]> <![CDATA[53.47±2.89 ** ]]> Test Group 2 <![CDATA[47.72±2.63 * ]]> <![CDATA[77.90±1.84 * <!-- 5 -->]]> Experiment 3 groups <![CDATA[41.91±2.19 ** ]]> <![CDATA[72.78±2.70 ** ]]> Test 4 groups <![CDATA[32.32±3.16 ** ]]> <![CDATA[68.01±1.61 ** ]]> Test 5 groups <![CDATA[29.54±2.06 ** ]]> <![CDATA[63.52±3.81 ** ]]>

[0076] Note: Compared with the blank control group, # P<0.05, ## P<0.01; compared with the model control group, * P<0.05, ** P<0.01.

[0077] 3 Discussions

[0078] The Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention can regulate the activity of antioxidant enzymes in granulosa cells of laying hens' ovaries, reduce the level of oxidative stress, and thus alleviate cell damage caused by oxidative stress. At the same time, the additive can significantly reduce the release of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-1β, and has a significant anti-inflammatory effect. The above results reveal the potential of the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention in improving the ovarian health of laying hens and improving the production performance of laying hens.

[0079] Test Example 2

[0080] 1 Materials and methods

[0081] 1.1 Experimental drugs

[0082] 20 parts of Ligustrum lucidum fruit, 20 parts of Astragalus, 18 parts of Purslane, 17 parts of Lycium barbarum, 15 parts of Radix Isatidis, 10 parts of Honeysuckle, 10 parts of Plantago, 10 parts of Gardenia, 12 parts of Jujube, 7 parts of Burdock fruit, 5 parts of Bupleurum. Weigh each raw material according to the above weight parts, wash, dry, superfinely grind, and set aside.

[0083] 1.2 Experimental animals

[0084] 120 healthy and disease-free 21-week-old Hy-Line gray laying hens were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, low-dose group of Chinese herbal feed additives, medium-dose group of Chinese herbal feed additives, and high-dose group of Chinese herbal feed additives (hereinafter referred to as "low-dose group, medium-dose group, and high-dose group"), with 5 replicates in each group and 6 hens in each replicate. The control group was fed with a basic diet, and the low-dose group, medium-dose group, and high-dose group were fed with a basic diet supplemented with 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% Chinese herbal medicine, respectively. The hens were fed continuously for 30 days.

[0085] 1.3 Feeding and management

[0086] The upper, middle and lower three-layer cage model was adopted for feeding and management. During the experiment, the laying hens in each group were allowed to eat and drink freely, the temperature and humidity of the chicken house were controlled to be suitable and stable, and the chicken house was disinfected and cleaned regularly. The specific composition and nutritional level of the basic diet are shown in Table 1.

[0087] Table 1 Basic diet composition and nutritional level

[0088] Raw material composition content(%) Nutritional Levels content corn 63 Metabolizable energy / (MJ / kg) 12.73 Soybean meal 14 Crude protein / % 16.24 wheat bran 3 Lysine / % 0.83 Peanut Meal 10 Methionine / % 0.51 salt 0.5 calcium / % 1.37 Stone powder 7.2 Available phosphorus / % 0.89 L-Lysine 0.1 DL-Methionine 0.2 Premix 2

[0089] Note: Premix provides: Vitamin A 100000IU, Vitamin D per kg of feed 3 30000IU, Vitamin E45IU, Vitamin B 1 4.5mg, Vitamin B 2 3.6mg, Fe 140mg, Cu 86.25mg, Zn75mg, Mn 45mg; all nutrient levels are average values.

[0090] 1.4 Detection indicators and methods

[0091] 1.4.1 Production performance of laying hens

[0092] During the experiment, the number of eggs laid, egg weight and feed intake of each group of laying hens were recorded, and the egg production rate, average egg weight, average feed intake and feed-egg ratio were calculated.

[0093] 1.4.2 Egg quality

[0094] After the experiment, 3 eggs were selected for each repetition and the egg quality was tested using an automatic egg quality tester, including eggshell thickness, eggshell strength, and Haugh unit.

[0095] 1.4.3 Serum antioxidant index and reproductive hormone index

[0096] After the experiment, blood was collected from each group of laying hens through the subwing vein, centrifuged at 4°C and 3500rpm for 20min, and the supernatant was taken. The antioxidant indicators catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and reproductive hormone indicators estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), progesterone (P4), and luteinizing hormone (LH) were detected according to the instructions of the ELISA kit.

[0097] 1.5 Statistical methods

[0098] All data were processed using Graphpad Prism 8.0 software and presented as mean ± standard deviation. When the data series of each group were normally distributed, ANOVA was used for variance analysis. When the variances were equal, LSD-test was used for inter-group comparison; when the variances were unequal, Dunnett's test was used for inter-group comparison. The difference was considered statistically significant when P < 0.05.

[0099] 2 Results

[0100] 2.1 Effects on laying hen production performance

[0101] As can be seen from Table 2, compared with the control group, the egg production rate and average egg weight of laying hens in each test group were significantly improved (P<0.05, P<0.01), the feed-egg ratio was significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and there was no significant difference in the average feed intake (P>0.05). There was a dose-dependent relationship between the egg production rate, average egg weight and feed-egg ratio among the test groups, that is, with the increase of the amount of Chinese medicine added, the egg production rate and average egg weight showed an upward trend, and the feed-egg ratio showed a downward trend, indicating that the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention can effectively improve the production performance of laying hens, increase the egg production rate and average egg weight, while reducing feed consumption and improving feed utilization.

[0102] Table 2 Comparison of production performance of laying hens in each group

[0103] Grouping Egg production rate (%) Average egg weight (g) Average feed intake (g) Feed to egg ratio (%) Control group 77.54±2.31 44.55±0.82 88.13±4.85 2.07±0.07 Low dose group <![CDATA[84.94±1.26 ** ]]> 46.39±1.08 87.09±2.33 1.94±0.05 Medium dose group <![CDATA[88.99±1.52 ** ]]> <![CDATA[47.61±0.82 * ]]> 86.79±4.63 <![CDATA[1.82±0.07 ** ]]> High dose group <![CDATA[94.87±1.23 ** ]]> <![CDATA[48.65±1.24 ** ]]> 87.87±3.57 <![CDATA[1.74±0.08 ** ]]>

[0104] Note: Compared with the control group, * P<0.05, ** P<0.01.

[0105] 2.2 Impact on egg quality

[0106] As shown in Table 3, compared with the control group, there was no significant difference in eggshell thickness in each test group (P>0.05), and the eggshell strength and Haugh unit were significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), showing a significant dose-dependent relationship. This shows that the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention can significantly improve egg quality, increase eggshell strength and Haugh unit, and has no adverse effect on eggshell thickness.

[0107] Table 3 Comparison of egg quality in each group

[0108] Grouping Eggshell thickness (mm) <![CDATA[Eggshell strength (kg / cm 2 )]]> Haff Unit Control group 0.38±0.09 4.11±0.06 77.97±1.94 Low dose group 0.33±0.09 4.26±0.08 <![CDATA[82.84±1.70 ** <!-- 7 -->]]> Medium dose group 0.35±0.13 <![CDATA[4.37±0.12 * ]]> <![CDATA[84.32±1.05 ** ]]> High dose group 0.37±0.12 <![CDATA[4.54±0.07 ** ]]> <![CDATA[88.42±0.84 ** ]]>

[0109] Note: Compared with the control group, * P<0.05, ** P<0.01.

[0110] 2.3 Antioxidant indexes in laying hen serum

[0111] Depend on Figure 1 It can be seen that compared with the control group, the CAT, GSH, SOD and T-AOC contents in the serum of laying hens in each test group showed an increasing trend, while the MDA content showed a decreasing trend. Among them, the CAT, GSH, SOD and T-AOC contents in the high-dose group of Chinese herbal feed additive increased most significantly, and the MDA content decreased most significantly, indicating that the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention can increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the serum of laying hens, reduce the generation and accumulation of free radicals, and protect the body from oxidative damage, thereby improving the health level and production performance of laying hens.

[0112] 2.4 Effects on reproductive hormone indicators of laying hens

[0113] E2 is one of the main estrogens, and its concentration has an important influence on the follicle development and ovulation process of laying hens; FSH is mainly responsible for promoting the growth and development of follicles; P4 helps maintain pregnancy and prepare for egg laying; LH mainly promotes ovulation and the formation of the corpus luteum. Figure 2 It can be seen that compared with the control group, the E2, FSH, P4 and LH levels in the serum of laying hens in each test group were significantly increased (P<0.01), and showed dose dependence, indicating that the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention can promote the reproductive function of laying hens and improve their production performance by regulating the level of reproductive hormones in laying hens.

[0114] 3 Conclusion

[0115] The above test results show that the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention can increase the egg production rate and average egg weight of laying hens, reduce the feed-egg ratio, and effectively improve the production performance of laying hens; in addition, the additive can also increase the eggshell strength and Haugh unit, and significantly improve the egg quality; further, the Chinese herbal feed additive of the present invention can increase the CAT, GSH, SOD, and T-AOC contents in serum, reduce the MDA content, increase the levels of E2, FSH, P4, and LH, enhance the antioxidant enzyme activity of laying hens, protect the body from oxidative damage, and regulate the level of reproductive hormones in the body, thereby improving the health level and production performance of laying hens.

[0116] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may still be modified, or some of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A Chinese herbal feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens, characterized in that: The Chinese herbal medicine feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 10-30 parts of Ligustrum lucidum fruit, 10-30 parts of Astragalus membranaceus, 8-30 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 7-30 parts of Lycium barbarum, 5-25 parts of Isatis indigotica root, 1-20 parts of Honeysuckle, 1-20 parts of Plantain, 1-20 parts of Gardenia, 2-25 parts of Jujube, 1-22 parts of Burdock fruit and 1-15 parts of Bupleurum.

2. A Chinese herbal feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Chinese herbal medicine feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 15-25 parts of Ligustrum lucidum fruit, 15-25 parts of Astragalus membranaceus, 13-25 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 12-25 parts of Lycium barbarum fruit, 10-20 parts of Isatis indigotica root, 5-15 parts of Honeysuckle flower, 5-15 parts of Plantain, 5-15 parts of Gardenia jasminoides, 7-22 parts of jujube, 5-17 parts of Burdock fruit and 3-9 parts of Bupleurum chinense.

3. The Chinese herbal medicine feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Chinese herbal medicine feed additive is composed of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 20 parts of Ligustrum lucidum fruit, 20 parts of Astragalus membranaceus, 18 parts of Portulaca oleracea, 17 parts of Lycium barbarum fruit, 15 parts of Isatis indigotica root, 10 parts of Honeysuckle flower, 10 parts of Plantain, 10 parts of Gardenia jasminoides, 12 parts of jujube, 7 parts of Burdock fruit and 5 parts of Bupleurum chinense.

4. A method for preparing a Chinese herbal medicine feed additive for improving the production performance of laying hens according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: (1) Weigh the raw materials according to the above weight proportions, wash, dry, and crush, and sieve through a 24-mesh sieve to obtain a coarse powder; (2) The coarse powder is ultrafinely ground to obtain the Chinese herbal medicine feed additive of the present invention.

5. The use of the Chinese herbal medicine feed additive according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The Chinese herbal medicine feed additive is used for preparing poultry feed for improving the production performance of laying hens.

6. The use of the Chinese herbal medicine feed additive according to claim 4, characterized in that: The added amount of the Chinese herbal medicine feed additive is 5-20g / kg.

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