Effect of dietary supplementation of Lactobacillus-fermented and non-fermented sea buckthorn on the laying performance and meat lipid peroxidation of Hy-line Brown laying hens

This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of non-fermented (SB) and Lactobacillus-fermented sea buckthorn (LFSB) on the laying performance and meat lipid peroxidation of Hy-line Brown laying hens. A total of 96 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (75 weeks old) were randomly allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments, with 4 replicates per treatment. A commercial basal diet was used, and 2 additional diets were prepared by supplementing 10 g/kg SB or 10 g/kg LFSB to the basal diet at the expense of maize. The diets were fed to hens ad libitum for 4 weeks. Hen-day egg production and egg mass were greater (P < 0.05) for the LFSB treatment, but not for the SB treatment, than for the basal treatment. Feed conversion ratio was lower (P < 0.05) for the SB treatment groups than for the basal treatment groups. However, there were no differences in egg weight and feed intake between the SB and LFSB groups and the basal diet groups. Further, there were no differences in total cholesterol, triacylglycerides, AST and ALT levels during the 4-week feeding trial. Supplementation of diets with SB or LFSB reduced (P < 0.05) the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values in breast meat at 3, 5, and 7 d of storage. Moreover, SB-or LFSB-supplemented diets increased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of Lactobacillus, reduced (P < 0.05) the concentration of Escherichia coli and did not affect the Salmonella content in the ileum of the hens. These results suggest that dietary SB or LFSB might be used as a functional ingredient to improve the laying performance, meat lipid stability and intestinal health of laying hens.