Application of rosemary extract in cage yellow-feather broiler chicken
By adding water-soluble and oil-soluble rosemary extracts to the basal diet of yellow-feathered broilers, the problems of meat quality and gut health under the stacked cage rearing mode were solved, resulting in improved meat quality and gut health, reduced feed intake and feed conversion ratio, enhanced antioxidant and immune functions, and optimized gut structure.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- YANGZHOU UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-09
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies struggle to simultaneously improve the meat quality and gut health of yellow-feathered broilers in stacked cage rearing models, and the lack of precise additive programs leads to decreased meat quality and impaired gut health. Furthermore, antibiotic use results in bacterial resistance and drug residues.
A 1:1 mixture of water-soluble and oil-soluble rosemary extracts was added to the basal diet of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers, especially at a dose of 100-300 mg/kg during the later or full growth stages, to improve meat quality and gut health.
It significantly reduces feed intake and feed conversion ratio, improves meat quality and gut health, enhances antioxidant capacity and immune function, optimizes gut morphology, reduces feed costs, and increases the commercial value of chicken.
Smart Images
Figure CN122162870A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of poultry farming, specifically to the application of rosemary extract in caged yellow-feathered broilers, and more particularly to the application of rosemary extract additives in improving the meat quality and intestinal health of medium-speed yellow-feathered broilers raised in stacked cages. Background Technology
[0002] Yellow-feathered broiler chickens are a high-quality local breed, favored by consumers for their delicious meat and unique flavor. In recent years, with the development of broiler farming towards intensification and large-scale operations, the stacked cage rearing model has been gradually promoted and applied in yellow-feathered broiler production due to its high stocking density and good management efficiency. However, this model restricts the broilers' activity space and exacerbates stress responses, leading not only to a decline in meat quality but also to disrupting the intestinal microecological balance and impairing intestinal barrier function, thereby affecting feed conversion efficiency and farming profitability. For a long time, antibiotics have been used in livestock and poultry farming to promote growth and prevent disease, but bacterial resistance and drug residues are becoming increasingly prominent problems, making the development of green and safe antibiotic alternatives an urgent need for the industry. Rosemary extract possesses multiple biological functions, including antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
[0003] While existing technologies involve the application of rosemary or its active ingredients in broiler feed, they mostly focus on growth performance or the observation of a single indicator. They fail to comprehensively consider the synergistic effect of meat quality improvement and gut health regulation, and they do not determine a segmented and precise addition program based on the physiological characteristics and feeding cycle of stacked cage-raised yellow-feathered broilers.
[0004] Currently, under the stacked cage rearing model, the meat quality of yellow-feathered broilers declines and their intestinal health is damaged. Existing feed additives are difficult to simultaneously improve meat quality and regulate intestinal health, and there is a lack of precise addition programs for medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers in stacked cage rearing. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an optimal addition method for rosemary extract additives that can simultaneously improve the meat quality and intestinal health of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers in stacked cage rearing. This is of great practical significance for improving the production level of high-quality broilers and promoting the reduction and replacement of antibiotics. Summary of the Invention
[0005] Purpose of the invention: The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide the application of rosemary extract in caged yellow-feathered broilers, especially in stacked caged yellow-feathered broilers. The method of raising yellow-feathered broilers reduces feed costs and feed conversion ratio, and improves meat quality and intestinal health.
[0006] Technical solution: In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the application of rosemary extract in caged yellow-feathered broiler chickens, wherein the rosemary extract is prepared by mixing water-soluble rosemary extract and oil-soluble rosemary extract.
[0007] The mass ratio of the water-soluble rosemary extract to the oil-soluble rosemary extract is 1:1.
[0008] The water-soluble rosemary extract contains ≥10% rosmarinic acid, with the other components serving as a carrier. The oil-soluble rosemary extract contains ≥10% caryopsisic acid, with the other components serving as a carrier.
[0009] The application includes adding 100-300 mg / kg of the rosemary extract to the basal diet of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during their 29-86 day growth period.
[0010] The rosemary extract at a concentration of 200 mg / kg is added to the basal diet of the medium-growth yellow-feathered broiler chickens during their 29-86 day growth period.
[0011] The application includes adding 100-300 mg / kg of the rosemary extract to the basal diet of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during the later growth stage, i.e., 57-86 days of age.
[0012] In this case, 300 mg / kg of the rosemary extract is added to the basal diet of the medium-growth yellow-feathered broiler chickens during the later growth stage, i.e., 57-86 days of age.
[0013] The cage rearing mentioned above is a stacked cage rearing.
[0014] The present invention also provides a method for improving the meat quality and intestinal health of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers raised in stacked cages. The method is characterized by adding 200 mg / kg of rosemary extract to the basal diet of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during the later growth stage, i.e., 57-86 days of age, or adding 300 mg / kg of rosemary extract to the basal diet of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during the 29-86 day growth stage.
[0015] The rosemary extract used is prepared by mixing water-soluble rosemary extract and oil-soluble rosemary extract in a mass ratio of 1:1. The water-soluble rosemary extract contains ≥10% rosmarinic acid, and the other components are carriers, with 10% being a mass percentage. The oil-soluble rosemary extract contains ≥10% carrageenan, and the other components are carriers, with 10% being a mass percentage.
[0016] This invention determines the optimal addition method through two-factor experiments (addition doses of 100, 200, and 300 mg / kg; addition periods of the early, middle, and late stages), namely, adding 200 mg / kg of rosemary extract in the later stage (57-86 days of age) or adding 300 mg / kg of rosemary extract throughout the entire period (29-86 days of age).
[0017] The method of the present invention can reduce the feed intake and feed conversion ratio of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers, improve the color of breast and leg muscles, increase the crude fat content of breast and leg muscles, enhance serum antioxidant enzyme activity and immunoglobulin levels, and increase the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the ileum and jejunum.
[0018] Beneficial Effects: Compared with existing technologies, this invention has the following advantages: The medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers raised using the technical solution of this invention show significant improvements in multiple production performance and physiological indicators: average feed intake is reduced by approximately 8.88%, and the feed conversion ratio is reduced by approximately 10.13%; in terms of meat quality, the color and pH value of the breast muscle are effectively improved, and the crude fat content of the breast and leg muscles is significantly increased; serum biochemical indicators show that the body's antioxidant capacity and immune function are enhanced; intestinal tissue morphology analysis shows that the jejunal villus height is significantly increased, the crypt depth is reduced, and the villus height / crypt depth ratio is increased. These results indicate that this invention has a comprehensive synergistic effect in improving the production performance of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers, improving meat quality, enhancing antioxidant and immune functions, and maintaining intestinal health. In summary, the medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers raised using this invention, without significantly affecting daily weight gain, can reduce feed intake and feed conversion ratio, improve meat color and crude fat content, enhance serum antioxidant and immune functions, increase the villus height / crypt depth ratio, and optimize intestinal morphology. This invention is used for the breeding of medium-speed yellow-feathered broiler chickens in stacked cages. It can improve meat quality and intestinal health, reduce feed costs, and ensure product safety. It not only improves the economic benefits of breeding, but also enhances the commercial value and edible quality of chicken meat, and has broad prospects for promotion. Attached Figure Description
[0019] Figure 1 In the figure, A and B are ileum slices of the control group and group F in the broiler chicken experiment in the example, and C and D in the figure are jejunum slices of the control group and group F, respectively. Detailed Implementation
[0020] Example 1: Effects of Rosemary Extract on Chicken Quality and Gut Health of Medium-Growth Yellow-Feathered Broilers
[0021] 1. Test animals and sources of rosemary extract
[0022] The medium-growth yellow-feathered broiler breed used in the experiment was the Heying Black Chicken, a medium-growth yellow-feathered broiler breed provided by Jiangsu Heying Poultry Breeding Co., Ltd. The rosemary extract used in this invention was prepared by mixing water-soluble rosemary extract (10% rosmarinic acid by mass, with other components as carriers) and oil-soluble rosemary extract (10% caryopsisic acid by mass, with other components as carriers) at a mass ratio of 1:1. The water-soluble and oil-soluble rosemary extracts were purchased from Hunan Jinhan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., with product numbers RA10 and CAP10, respectively.
[0023] 2. Experimental Design
[0024] Five hundred and forty 29-day-old medium-growth yellow-feathered broiler hens with uniform weight and good health were selected and randomly assigned to ten groups using a completely randomized design, with six replicates per group and nine chickens per replicate. They were housed in standardized stacked cage houses. The control group (N group) was fed a basal diet without any additives. The nine experimental groups were constructed using a two-factor (addition dosage and addition time) design: the addition dosage was set at three levels: 100 mg / kg (groups A, B, C), 200 mg / kg (groups D, E, F), and 300 mg / kg (groups G, H, I); the addition time was divided into three stages: early growth stage (29-56 days old), full growth stage (29-86 days old), and late growth stage (57-86 days old), as shown in Table 1. After the experiment, two chickens were selected from each replicate based on average weight, for a total of 120 chickens, which were weighed and slaughtered. The optimal addition dosage and timing of rosemary extract additive were determined by measuring the growth performance, serum, intestinal, and meat quality of the slaughtered samples. The experiment lasted 58 days, with strict recording of environmental parameters to ensure consistent feeding and management conditions across all groups.
[0025] Table 1 Experimental Design
[0026]
[0027] 3. Effects of rosemary extract on the growth performance of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers
[0028] Table 2 shows that compared with the control group (N), there was no significant difference in daily weight gain among the experimental groups (P>0.05), but varying degrees of improvement were observed in feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Regarding feed intake, groups D, E, F, G, H, and I were all significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05), with group I having the lowest feed intake. Regarding feed conversion ratio, groups C, D, E, F, and H were all significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05), with group E having the lowest feed conversion ratio. The results indicate that multiple treatment groups within the dosage range of 200-300 mg / kg can significantly improve feed conversion efficiency, and the effects are comparable across different addition periods.
[0029] Table 2. Effects of rosemary extract on the growth performance of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers
[0030]
[0031] 4. Effects of rosemary extract on the chicken quality of medium-growing yellow-feathered broilers
[0032] Table 3 shows that rosemary extract improved multiple meat quality indicators, with different treatment groups exhibiting distinct advantages. Regarding meat color, the color of the pectoral and hind muscles in groups D, F, G, H, and I was significantly reduced (P<0.05). In terms of tenderness, group G had the lowest pectoral muscle shear force, while groups E and F had lower hind muscle shear force than the control group, but there were no significant differences between the groups and the control group. Regarding crude fat in the pectoral muscle, except for groups C, E, and I, the crude fat content in all groups was higher than the control group, with group F showing a 17.3% increase. Regarding crude fat in the hind muscle, except for group B, the crude fat content in all groups was also higher than the control group, with groups F and H showing increases of 21.4% and 26.2%, respectively.
[0033] Table 3. Effects of rosemary extract on the quality of medium-growing yellow-feathered broiler chickens
[0034]
[0035] 5. Effects of rosemary extract on intestinal morphology of medium-growth yellow-feathered broiler chickens
[0036] Intestinal morphology is an important indicator of intestinal health and absorption function. Figure 1 In the diagram, A and B are ileum slices from the control group and group F, respectively. Figure 1 C and D in the table represent jejunal sections from the control group and group F, respectively. Tables 4 (ileum) and 5 (jejunum) show that rosemary extract significantly improved intestinal structure. In the ileum, regarding villus height: groups G and I had the highest heights, increasing by 55.5% and 54.8% respectively compared to the control group (P<0.05); group F also had significantly higher villus height than the control group. Regarding crypt depth: group F had the shallowest villus height, decreasing by 18.9% compared to the control group (P<0.05), the best among all treatment groups; group A was second best. Regarding the villus-crypt ratio: group F had the highest villus height, significantly better than the control group and all other groups. In the jejunum, there was no significant difference in villus height between groups, but groups F and E had the highest values. Regarding crypt depth: groups H and I had the shallowest villus height, decreasing by 28.6% and 28.1% respectively compared to the control group (P<0.05); groups F and E also had significantly lower villus height than the control group. Regarding the chorionic-to-cryptotropic ratio: Groups E and F had the highest ratios, increasing by 48.7% and 49.0% respectively compared to the control group (P<0.05); Groups I and H also showed significant increases.
[0037] Table 4. Effects of rosemary extract on ileal morphology in medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers
[0038]
[0039] Table 5. Effects of rosemary extract on jejunal intestinal morphology in medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers
[0040]
[0041] 6. Effects of rosemary extract on serum immune and antioxidant indices in medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers
[0042] As shown in Table 6, rosemary extract has a significant effect on the immune function and antioxidant capacity of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers, with different treatment groups showing different advantages.
[0043] Regarding immune indicators: IgA: Groups F and G were significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05); IgM: Group G had the highest level, significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05), followed by Group F (P<0.05); IgG: Groups F and G were significantly higher than the control group and other groups (P<0.05).
[0044] Regarding antioxidant indicators: GSH-PX: Group F had the highest level, significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05); GST: Groups F and G had significantly higher levels than the control group (P<0.05); CAT: Groups I and H had the highest levels, significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05), and Group F also had significantly higher levels than the control group (P<0.05).
[0045] Table 6. Effects of rosemary extract on serum immune and antioxidant indices in medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers
[0046]
[0047] 7. Determining the optimal addition scheme
[0048] This invention evaluates different additive schemes from multiple dimensions, taking into account growth performance, meat quality, crude fat content, intestinal morphology, and serum immune antioxidant indicators.
[0049] Group F: It performed well in all the above indicators, especially in intestinal health (ileum) and immune antioxidant indicators, ranking first. There were no obvious shortcomings in meat quality improvement, making it the treatment group with the best overall performance.
[0050] Group H: Performed best in jejunal health, with a significantly reduced feed conversion ratio and a 26.2% increase in leg muscle fat content. The entire additive program was easy to use during production.
[0051] It should be noted that this embodiment uses the medium-growth yellow-feathered broiler breed, Heying Black Chicken, as the test subject, but the technical principles and effects of the method described in this invention do not depend on this specific breed. Medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers commonly suffer from decreased meat quality and impaired gut health under stacked cage rearing. Rosemary extract exerts its effects through anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and regulation of the gut microbiota, and its mechanism of action is universal across breeds. Therefore, the addition method described in this invention is also applicable to other medium-growth yellow-feathered broiler breeds.
[0052] In summary, the technical solutions of this invention include: the preferred solution: adding 200 mg / kg rosemary extract to medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during the later growth stage (57-86 days old) (corresponding to group F); the alternative solution: adding 300 mg / kg rosemary extract to medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during the growth stage (29-86 days old) (corresponding to group H); both of the above solutions can achieve the purpose of improving the meat quality and intestinal health of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers raised in stacked cages, and all fall within the protection scope of this invention.
Claims
1. The application of rosemary extract in caged yellow-feathered broiler chickens, characterized in that, The rosemary extract is prepared by mixing water-soluble rosemary extract and oil-soluble rosemary extract.
2. The application according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass ratio of the water-soluble rosemary extract to the oil-soluble rosemary extract is 1:
1.
3. The application according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water-soluble rosemary extract contains ≥10% rosmarinic acid, with the other components serving as a carrier; the oil-soluble rosemary extract contains ≥10% caryopsisic acid, with the other components serving as a carrier.
4. The application according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The application involves adding 100-300 mg / kg of the rosemary extract to the basal diet of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during their 29-86 day growth phase.
5. The application according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rosemary extract at a concentration of 200 mg / kg was added to the basal diet of the medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during their 29-86 day growth period.
6. The application according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The application involves adding 100-300 mg / kg of the rosemary extract to the basal diet of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during the later growth stage, i.e., 57-86 days of age.
7. The application according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rosemary extract at a concentration of 300 mg / kg was added to the basal diet of the medium-growth yellow-feathered broiler chickens during the later growth stage, i.e., 57-86 days of age.
8. The application according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cage rearing is a stacked cage rearing.
9. A method for improving the meat quality and gut health of medium-speed yellow-feathered broiler chickens raised in stacked cages, characterized in that, The method involves adding 200 mg / kg of rosemary extract to the basal diet of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during the later growth stage (57-86 days of age), or adding 300 mg / kg of rosemary extract to the basal diet of medium-growth yellow-feathered broilers during the 29-86 day growth stage.
10. The method for improving the chicken quality and intestinal health of medium-speed yellow-feathered broiler chickens raised in stacked cages according to claim 9, characterized in that, The rosemary extract is prepared by mixing water-soluble rosemary extract and oil-soluble rosemary extract in a mass ratio of 1:
1. The water-soluble rosemary extract contains ≥10% rosmarinic acid, and the other components are carriers. The oil-soluble rosemary extract contains ≥10% caryopsisic acid, and the other components are carriers.