Citrus extracts have demonstrated their ability to modulate animals’ microbiota, stimulate the production of SCFAs and thus improve feed efficacy. However, the effect of citrus extracts supplementation through the feed can differ a lot, depending on the citrus based product used.
Marketing Director
Nor-Feed
Intestinal health plays a vital role in ensuring the optimal development of animals. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as butyric acid, are particularly important due to their beneficial impact on the intestinal microbiota. These compounds help preserve intestinal integrity and enhance feed digestibility, thus improving feed efficiency. Therefore, increasing the concentration of SCFAs in the intestinal tract presents a promising strategy to improve animal health and production performance.
A study by Nor-Feed, a company based in France, was carried out aiming to assess the effect of supplementing broiler chickens with a standardized natural citrus extract (SNCE) on SCFA levels in the intestine, with a specific focus on butyric acid, a key SCFA in promoting intestinal health.
This trial was conducted on 1344 one-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308). Broiler chickens were equally divided into 2 groups. The control group, composed of 16 replicates of each 42 birds, fed with a standard diet. The SNCE group, composed also of 16 replicates of 42 birds each, fed a standard diet supplemented with 250 ppm of standardized natural citrus extract. The butyric acid content in caeca was measured at day 12 and at day 34.
Results showed that SNCE supplementation significantly increased the percentage of caecal butyric acid content at d12 (14.39%) compared to control group (12.32%). At d34, the percentage of butyric acid was still numerically higher in SNCE group (14.75%) compared to the control group (13.21%), but the difference was not significant. Therefore, these trial results show that SNCE supplementation allows to increase endogenous butyric acid rate in caeca.
The composition of SNCE may explain the observed effects. Key compounds in SNCE, such as pectic oligosaccharides, naringenin, and hesperidin, are well known for promoting the growth of bacteria that produce. Based on these findings, SNCE appears to be a promising solution for enhancing digestive health in young birds.
A CHARACTERIZED AND STANDARDIZED CITRUS EXTRACT SOLUTION TO ENSURE GROWTH PERFORMANCES
Citrus extracts have demonstrated their ability to modulate animals’ microbiota, stimulate the production of SCFAs and thus improve feed efficacy. However, the effect of citrus extracts supplementation through the feed can differ a lot, depending on the citrus based product used. Indeed, common citrus extracts used in animal nutrition are not standardized, which can lead to high heterogeneity regarding their effects on animal performance.
Nor-Spice AB®, a natural citrus extract to improve feed efficiency, has already proven its efficacy in many species. Through two meta-analyses for pigs and poultry, Nor-Spice AB® has been shown to be an effective and repeatable prebiotic for improving animal growth. In these trials, Nor-Spice AB® increased the average daily gain (ADG) of pigs and poultry by 11.7% (p<0.001) and 5.5% (p<0.01) respectively.
In Poultry, 17 trials were conducted under different conditions around the world. For each trial, a control group was compared to a trial group in which the control feed was supplemented with 250 to 400 ppm Nor-Spice AB®.
In Pigs, 10 trials were conducted and confirmed the positive effects of Nor-Spice AB® in piglets. Each trial had 2 groups of piglets, one group received a standard diet and the other group received the same standard diet supplemented with 250 ppm Nor-Spice AB®.
References are available upon request.
About Julia Laurain
Julia Laurain graduated as an Agricultural Engineer (Msc) in 2008 from ENSAIA in Nancy (France). She began her career in Valorex, where she started to develop her skills in dairy nutrition and project leading in France and during a mission in US with Stonyfield Farm. In 2012, she joined Olmix group, first as a mycotoxin risk product manager for North Europe before managing the animal care technical team in Europe. From 2017 to 2022 she held the global position of Mycotoxin Risk product manager. In June 2022 she joined Nor-Feed marketing team as Product Manager, since September 2022 she has been managing the marketing service including product strategy and communication.
