The effects of Bacillus coagulans-fermented and non-fermented Ginkgo biloba on abdominal fat deposition and meat quality of Peking duck

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effects of Bacillus coagulans-fermented Ginkgo biloba (FG) and non-fermented G. biloba (NFG) on abdominal fat deposition and meat quality, 270 female Peking ducks were randomly assigned to the following experimental groups: a control group (fed a basal diet), an NFG group (fed a basal diet + 0.3% NFG), and an FG group (fed a basal diet + 0.3% FG). Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly, and feed conversion ratio was calculated to assess growth performance. After 6 wk, 18 ducks from each group were killed. Abdominal fat ratio and pH (at 45 min and 24 h postmortem), color parameters (lightness, redness, and yellowness), water-holding capacity, cooking loss, shear force, and intramuscular fat and fatty acid contents were measured. Six more ducks were killed to isolate RNA from their abdominal fat tissue for measurements of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), obese (leptin), and adiponectin (ADP) expression using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results revealed that body weight gain was higher in the FG group than in the control and NFG groups, whereas feed conversion ratio was lower (P < 0.05). The abdominal fat contents were lower in the NFG and FG groups than in the control group (P < 0.05). The NFG and FG groups had lower levels of saturated fatty acids (mainly palmitic acid) and higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly linoleic acid and arachidonic acid) than the control group. The mRNA expressions of PPARγ, leptin, and ADP in abdominal fat tissue were significantly increased in the NFG and FG groups, and the mRNA expression of PPARγ was higher in the FG group than in the NFG group (P < 0.05). These results suggest that fermenting G. biloba reduces the deposition of abdominal fat and improves the fatty acid profile of Peking duck meat.

Ginkgo biloba extract EGB761 improved anti-heat stress responses in chickens in vivo via regulation of heat-shock protein expression and distribution

“…This finding is consistent with a previous study showing that EGB761 administration increased duodenal and jejunal villous height, decreased jejunal crypt depth, and regulated intestinal flora [17]. EGB761 was also reported to regulate the growth of the hypothalamus-pituitary axis in Peking duck and promoted growth hormone secretion to positively impact the growth and feed conversion ratios [18]. We also found that 0.6% EGB761 induced the poorest average daily gain despite the superior ratio of feed-to-meat, which may be explained by the naturally bitter taste of the EGB761, which may have had an adverse effect on the appetite/feed intake of the chickens.…”

Effects of novel microecologics combined with traditional Chinese medicine and probiotics on growth performance and health of broilers

“…As a new Chinese medicine–probiotic formulation, CPCMP can make full use of the efficacy of TCMs and probiotics to improve livestock and poultry performance ( Liang et al., 2021 ). At present, many researches have focused on the effects of fermented TCMs on the growth performance, immune function, and meat quality of animals, such as cattle ( Wang et al., 2017 ), pigs ( Zhou et al., 2015 ), ducks ( Liu et al., 2017 ), and broilers ( Niu et al., 2017 ; Niu et al., 2019 ; Liu et al., 2020 ). To our knowledge, there is a dearth of studies investigating the influence of fermented TCMs or the compound formulation of fermented TCMs and probiotics on the intestinal barrier and microbiota of broilers ( Zhang et al., 2015 ; Qiao et al., 2018 ).…”

“…Previous studies have shown that fermented TCMs have advantageous effects on growth performance, meat quality, and immune function in cattle ( Wang et al., 2017 ), pigs ( Zhou et al., 2015 ), and ducks ( Liu et al., 2017 ). The relevant studies in broilers also focus on their influence on growth performance and antioxidant activity ( Niu et al., 2017 ; Niu et al., 2019 ; Liu et al., 2020 ).…”

Use of fermented Chinese medicine residues as a feed additive and effects on growth performance, meat quality, and intestinal health of broilers

“…It was found that the inhibition of the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella cholerae , and Escherichia coli may be increased by fermented herbs ( 9 ). Research has shown that fermented Chinese medicines can improve growth capacity, meat quality and immune performance in pigs ( 16 ), cattle ( 17 ), and ducks ( 18 ). Fermented Chinese medicines can regulate birds' antioxidant capacity, gut barriers, and microflora ( 19 – 21 ).…”