Dietary enteric-coated benzoic acid supplementation improved the intestinal antioxidant and digestive function in broilers

As an additive to regulate the intestinal pH environment of broilers, enteric-coated benzoic acid has many benefits. This study aimed to explore wether enteric-soluble benzoic acid could induce the appetite based on gut appetite hormone secretion. A total of 192 broilers were randomly partitioned into three groups. Each group consisted of eight cages, and each cage housed eight chickens. Birds were fed the base diet (NC) supplemented without or with 330 g/t (low-dose group, LD) or 660 g/t enteric-soluble benzoic acid (high-dose group, HD). The experiment lasted 21 d. Supplementing acidifiers did not exhibit any negative impacts on the growth performance of broilers. Compared with the NC group, the HD group significantly increased the villus height (VH) and the VH/CD ratio in both the duodenum and jejunum. Conversely, in the LD group, the crypt depth (CD) of the duodenum was significantly reduced. Compared to the LD group, VH, and CD in the duodenum of HD group were decreased significantly, the VH/CD ratio of jejunum and ileum were increased. The digestive enzymes of sucrase in the duodenum and jejunum were elevated in the HD group compared to those in the NC and LD group. The T-AOC and SOD in the ileum of the HD group were significantly higher than those of the NC group. Cholecystokinin (CCK) and Ghrelin both in the duodenum and jejunum were significantly increased in the HD group compared with the LD group (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Ghrelin in the ileum of the LD group, as well as Peptide YY (PYY) in the duodenum of the HD group had significantly increased compared to those of NC group (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Compared with the LD group, the mRNA expression of <italic>CCK</italic> and <italic>ghrelin</italic> of jejunal mucosa in the HD group, as well as mRNA expression of <italic>ghrelin</italic> in duodenal mucosa were significantly up-regulated (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). In summary, the supplementation of 330 or 660 g/t of enteric-soluble benzoic acid significantly improves the intestinal morphological features and impacts the secretory function of the intestinal mucosa in broilers. These results suggest a potential role of enteric-soluble benzoic acid in the regulation of appetite-related physiological mechanisms.