Effects of oak acorn (Quercus infectoria) powder and wood vinegar on growth performance, intestinal morphology and cecal Clostridium perfringens population in broiler chickens

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a supplementation diet with wood vinegar (WV) and oak acorn (OA) on growth performance, intestinal morphology, blood parameters, and cecal Clostridium perfringens populations as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) in broiler chickens. A total of 450 one-day-old male broiler chickens were distributed into five treatments with six replicates and 15 chicks each. Experimental treatments included: control diet without additives (C) control diet supplemented with 1 g/kg AGP (AB), control diet supplemented with 3 g/kg WV (WV), control diet supplemented with 3 g/kg OA (OA), and control diet supplemented with 1.5 g/kg WV and 1.5 g/kg OA (WVOA). During the finisher and whole periods of the experiment, there was a positive impact of C and WV groups on body weight gain and feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences among treatments for carcass characteristics. Triglyceride, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) concentrations in the OA group were lower than in the WVOA group (P < 0.05). Also, in birds fed with WVOA treatment, villus height and crypt depth were higher than in the other groups (P < 0.05). Birds fed with the WV treatment had significantly lower muscle thickness and villus surface area than those in the WVOA group. However, dietary supplementation with the OA group enhanced the number of ileum villi intraepithelial lymphocytes and significantly lowered litter moisture in comparison to other groups. In the WVOA group, ileum digesta viscosity and Clostridium perfringens count in the cecum significantly increased compared to the other treatments. In conclusion, WV and OA supplementation affected intestinal morphology and blood parameters but did not improve growth performance. Further research is needed to identify active components and test different doses to optimize their potential as AGP alternatives in broiler production.