Effects of Hydrolyzed Cottonseed Protein on Growth Performances, Carcass Traits, Immunity, Microbial and Morphological Responses of the Small Intestine and Total Antioxidant Capacity of Serum, and Small Intestine in Broiler Chickens

This experiment was designed to assess the efficacy of dietary inclusion of cottonseed protein hydrolysate (CPH) as a substitute to in-feed antibiotics on performances, carcass characteristics, immunity, microbial and morphological respond of the small intestine and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of serum, and small intestine in broiler chickens. A total of four hundreds Ross 308 day-old female broilers were assigned to 4 treatments each with 5 replicate. Three dietaries were formulated to possess 0 (control), 4, and 6 g CPH/kg of diet in confronting with control + 2 mg lincomycin. The broilers receiving 6 g CPH/kg of diet had significantly (P 0.05) greater final body weight and feed conversion ratio in contrast with that fed basal diet. The percentage of pancreas and cecum was a premiere in broilers fed diets containing 6 g CPH/kg of diet confront to those fed basal diet (P 0.05). Broilers supplemented with lincomycin or 6 g CPH/kg diet had fewer Coliform counts than that fed basal diet (P 0.05). The T-AOC of jejunum was higher in broilers fed diets containing CPH than those fed diets supplemented with lincomycin (P 0.05). The addition of 6 g CPH/kg of diet enhanced antibody titers against avian influenza virus (AIV) compared to other groups (P 0.05). In conclusion the outcomes demonstrated that the inclusion of 6 g CPH/kg of diet could induce beneficial impacts on performances by cause of an improvement in small intestine health and it could enhance antibody titers against AIV.