Effects of Dietary Ramie Powder at Various Levels on the Production Performance, Serum Biochemical Indices, Antioxidative Capacity, and Intestinal Development of Laying Hens

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ramie (0, 3, 6, and 9%) included in diets on production performance, antioxidative capacity, serum biochemical indices, and intestinal development of laying hens. A total of 432 Lohmann commercial laying hens were randomly allotted to one of four dietary treatments and fed for 6 weeks. The results showed that the inclusion of ramie had no negative effects on laying performance, and increased (quadratic, P < 0.05) the laying rate with the highest value in the 6% ramie group. However, ramie content in the diet up to 9% reduced the apparent metabolic energy, dry matter, and organic matter apparent digestibility of laying hens compared with those in the 3% ramie group. The content of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) in serum was increased (P < 0.05), but the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was decreased (P < 0.05) by dietary ramie supplementation. As the dietary ramie level increased, the activity of serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was increased quadratically (P < 0.05). Compared with control, 3% ramie group significantly increased (P < 0.01) liver total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Meanwhile, the addition of 3∼6% ramie powder increased (P < 0.05) villus height of jejunum and villus height/crypt depth (V/C) of ileum, which reflected the intestinal promotional effect of ramie powder. In conclusion, ramie in a diet of less than 9% might protect the liver and improve the antioxidative capacity with no detrimental impacts on the laying hens. Moreover, it could promote the intestinal mucosal structure and have a positive impact on the intestine health of the laying hens.

Effects of dietary supplement of ε‐polylysine hydrochloride on laying performance, egg quality, serum parameters, organ index, intestinal morphology, gut microbiota and volatile fatty acids in laying hens

“…The VH, CD and VH:CD ratio are essential parameters for evaluating absorption and digestion capacity in the small intestine. 41,42 The better the development of VH, the stronger the secretion ability of enzymes, and the depth of the crypt is closely related to the intestinal digestion and decomposition ability. 43 A higher VH:CD ratio indicates the integrity of the small intestine's morphological structure and a better absorption capacity of the intestine.…”

Effect of Dietary Ramie Powder at Various Levels on the Growth Performance, Meat Quality, Serum Biochemical Indices and Antioxidative Capacity of Yanling White Geese

“…Ramie leaves contain 17 amino acids, with a total amino acid content of 18.36% [ 3 ]. In addition, previous studies had shown that ramie leaves contain a variety of bioactive components, which have antioxidant, blood lipid-lowering, and intestinal development effects [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Therefore, it is practical to assess the impact of ramie as a new feed ingredient in poultry.…”