Effects of Bromelain on Growth Performance, Biochemistry, Antioxidant Metabolism, Meat Quality, and Intestinal Morphology of Broilers

Abstract

Bromelain is a mix of proteolytic enzymes obtained from the pineapple plant's fruit or stem. The effect of various rates of bromelain supplementation on broiler growth and carcass performance, meat quality, antioxidant metabolism, and blood profiles were examined in this study. In total, 288 male broiler chicks ( Ross 308) one-day-old were used to determine the effects of different doses of bromelain (0, 0.15, 0.30, and 0.45 g / kg diet) during the six-week trial period. The trial groups consisted of six replicates of twelve animals each. Bromelain (30g/kg diet) improved the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and increased final body weight (BW) and body weight gain (BWG) (P<0.05). Bromelain increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the drumstick tissue (P<0.05). Bromelain decreased serum cholesterol (COL), High-density lipoprotein (HDL), and Low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Bromelain did not affect drumstick and breast meats' pH value but had shown a limited and variable effect on the color parameters and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) during the storage period. Bromelain increased goblet cell number (GCN), crypt depth (CD), villus length (VL), and epithelial height (EH) (P<0.05) in the small intestine. In conclusion, bromelain had a minor impact on meat microbiological quality but improved intestinal morphology and final performance parameters.