Evaluation of butyrate glycerides for developing an alternative to dietary antibiotics in poultry

Principal Investigator

Joshua Gong, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Year the work was done

2014-2016

Overall objective

  • To evaluate the potential of butyrate glycerides as an alternative to dietary antibiotics to enhance chicken growth performance.

Outcomes

  • Tributyrin supplementation can modulate lipid metabolism to benefit broiler production although the supplementation has no effect on overall growth and feeding efficiency of the chicken.
  • Supplementation of mixed butyrate glycerides, had no significant effect on overall chicken growth and feeding efficiency, however; can reduce abdominal fat deposition and increase breast muscle deposition.
  • Butyrate glycerides can regulate genes expression relating to lipid catabolism.
  • Butyrate glycerides can modulate chicken gut microbiota and serum metabolites.

Application

  • The use of butyrins as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters has the potential to be adopted by the poultry industry.

This research applies to

Breeders, Broilers, Layers, Turkeys

This research was supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Canadian Poultry Research Council.