Efficacy of RISCO–NUTRIFOUR probiotic as a growth promoter on broiler performance and intestinal barrier gene expression

Probiotics are widely recognized as beneficial feed additives in poultry production, known for their ability to enhance gut health, improve immune responses, and serve as potential alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters. This study evaluated the efficacy of RISCONUTRIFOUR (RNFS), a multi-strain probiotic mixture, as a growth promoter at different levels (0.4 %, 0.2 %, and 0.1 %) compared to Bacillus subtilis at 0.1 %, Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 0.1 %, or negative control (no probiotic) on growth performance, biochemical parameters, intestinal immunoglobulin A (IgA) gene, and barrier function Claudin-1 and MUC-2 gene expression of broilers over 42 days. The results showed that RNFS at level 3 (0.1 %) significantly improved body weight gain (BWG) by 6.75 % and feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 6.0 %, indicating enhanced growth performance. The biochemical analysis revealed no statistically significant changes in liver enzymes, kidney function markers, or blood lipids. However, notable improvements were observed in immune-related gene expression, with IgA upregulated by 12 %, Claudin-1 by 144 %, and MUC-2 by 14 % compared to the negative control. These findings suggest that RISCONUTRIFOUR supplementation, particularly at 0.1 %, enhances broiler performance, intestinal health, and immunity without negatively affecting systemic biochemical markers.