The effects of high-oleic peanuts as an alternative feed ingredient on broiler performance, ileal digestibility, apparent metabolizable energy and histology of the intestine

Authors: Toomer, Ondulla; SANDERS, ELLIOT - North Carolina State University; Vu, Thien; MALHEIROS,, RAMON - North Carolina State University; Redhead, Adam; LIVINGSTON, MATTHEW - North Carolina State University; LIVINGSTON, KIMBERLY - North Carolina State University; CARVALHO,, LUIZ VICTOR - North Carolina State University; FERKET, PETER - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Translational Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2020
Publication Date: 7/30/2020
Citation: Toomer, O.T., Sanders, E., Vu, T.C., Malheiros,, R.D., Redhead, A.K., Livingston, M., Livingston, K., Carvalho,, L., Ferket, P. 2020. The effects of high-oleic peanuts as an alternative feed ingredient on broiler performance, ileal digestibility, apparent metabolizable energy and histology of the intestine. Translational Animal Science. 4(3):txaa137. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaa137.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaa137

Interpretive Summary: Few studies to date have examined the use of high-oleic peanuts as an alternative feed ingredient for broiler meat-type chickens. Thus we conducted a study in which 300 broiler chickens fed a soybean control diet, high-oleic peanut diet, or a control diet spiked with oleic oil for 6 weeks. Body weights, feed intake and feed conversion ratios were determined bi-weekly. Nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology were determined. This study demonstrated that broiler chickens fed a high-oleic peanut diet had improved apparent metabolizable energy relative to the other treatment groups and marginally increased intestinal surface area of the jejeuna, suggesting improved nutrient uptake of dietary fats and/or carbohydrates in broilers fed the high-oleic peanuts.

Technical Abstract: Locally grown feed ingredients of high energy and protein content, such as peanuts, maybe economically feasible alternatives to corn and soybean meal in broiler diets. Even though normal-oleic peanuts have been demonstrated to be a viable feed ingredient for poultry, few studies to date have examined the use of high-oleic peanuts (HO PN) as an alternative feed ingredient for broiler chickens. Thus, we aimed to determine the effect of feeding HO PN on broiler performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology. Three isocaloric, isonitrogenous experimental diets were formulated with 1) dietary inclusion of ~10% coarse-ground whole HO PN; 2) a corn-soybean meal control diet with 5.5% added poultry fat; and 3) a control diet supplemented with 5.5% oleic fatty acid oil. Three-hundred Ross 708 broilers were randomly placed in 10 replicate pens per treatment with 10 chicks per pen and raised until 42 d. Body weights (BW) and feed intake were determined weekly, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated. Jejunum samples were collected at 42 d for histomorphometric analysis. Analysis of variance was performed on all variables using a general linear mixed model in JMP Pro14. Broilers in the HO PN group had lower (P < 0.05) BW and higher FCR than other treatment groups at weeks 2 and 6. There were no significant differences in the jejunum villi surface area between the treatment groups. However, broilers fed the HO PN diet had greater (P = 0.019) apparent metabolizable energy relative to the other treatment groups, suggesting improved nutrient uptake of dietary fats and/or carbohydrates in the HO PN treatment group. However, additional studies are warranted to further define the nutritional value of HO PN as an alternative poultry feed ingredient.