Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hydrolysate on Broiler Performance and Gut Health

In recent years, scientific interest in functional ingredients capable of replacing the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in animal feed has intensified, fostering the exploration of novel additives such as <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> hydrolysate (SCH). This study investigated the effect of dietary SCH supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology, local immune response, and cecal microbiota composition in Ross 308 broiler chickens. A total of 300 one-day-old male chicks were randomly assigned to two experimental groups, receiving either a standard diet or a diet supplemented with SCH (500 mg/kg during the starter and grower phases; 250 mg/kg during the finisher phase). SCH supplementation significantly improved growth performance during the finisher phase, with increases in final body weight (<i>p</i> = 0.025), average daily gain (<i>p</i> = 0.049), and average daily feed intake (<i>p</i> = 0.027), without significant changes in feed conversion ratio (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Favourable intestinal morphological modifications were observed, with a significant increase in villus height to crypt depth ratio in both the jejunum and ileum at days 28 (<i>p</i> = 0.035 and 0.002, respectively) and 42 (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes was significantly reduced, with lower levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, while tight junction protein genes ZO-1 and Occludin were significantly upregulated (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Microbiota profiling revealed higher alpha diversity and greater abundance of <i>Prevotella</i>. These findings highlight SCH as a promising dietary strategy to improve broiler performance, intestinal function, and sustainability in poultry production systems.