Interaction of Wheat Bran Particle Size and Stimbiotic Supplementation on Growth Performance and Gut Health Parameters in Broilers.

Simple Summary: Wheat bran inclusion beneficially affects the gut health of broilers at low inclusion levels, along with the supplementation of feed additives such as with a stimbiotic It was hypothesized that the coarse or fine particle size of the wheat bran has a significant influence and interaction with stimbiotic on the performance of, and gut-health beneficial effects, in broilers. Coarse- or fine-wheat-bran inclusion or stimbiotic inclusion increased the feed intake and FCR for younger broilers; however, fine wheat bran and stimbiotic inclusion increased the overall weight gain of broilers without influencing their feed intake and FCR. Fine-wheat-bran inclusion increased the jejunum villi height and ileal nutrient digestibility compared to coarse wheat bran or diets without wheat bran in broilers at day 18. Stimbiotic supplementation increased ileal nutrient digestibility at day 42. The particle size of the wheat bran or stimbiotic supplementation had no effects on the cecal total short-chain fatty acid concentration; however, stimbiotic supplementation or wheat bran inclusion tended to decrease the branched-chain fatty acid concentration. Stimbiotic supplementation and inclusion of wheat bran with a reduced particle size into broiler diets have beneficial effects on the overall performance and ileal nutrient digestibility. A 42-day study was conducted with 720-day-old Cobb male broiler chicks allocated to treatments in a 3 × 2 factorial, with the factors as wheat bran (WB) inclusion (no WB, 50 g/kg coarse WB, or 50 g/kg fine WB) and stimbiotic (STB) supplementation in corn-based diets. The inclusion of WB (p < 0.05) or STB supplementation (p < 0.05) increased the FCR and feed intake in the day 0–10 phase. During the day 0–28 phase, coarse-WB inclusion increased (p < 0.05) the FCR, compared to fine WB or diets without WB. In the day 0–42 phase, WB marginally decreased weight gain in diets without STB supplementation, but the STB-supplemented diet, weight gain was greater (p < 0.05) the diet with fine WB compared with diets with coarse WB. Fine-WB inclusion increased the ileal nitrogen and energy digestibility determined at day 18 compared to coarse WB or diets without WB. Supplementation with STB (p < 0.05) or fine WB (p < 0.05) inclusion increased the villi height compared to diets without STB supplementation or coarse WB, or the diet without WB. Coarse or fine WB decreased (p < 0.05) cecal branched-chain fatty acids compared to diets without WB. In conclusion, stimbiotic supplementation to fine WB improved the performance and nutrient digestibility of broilers compared to coarse WB with no effects on the caeca total SCFA concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]