A new type of defatted green microalgae exerts dose-dependent nutritional, metabolic, and environmental impacts in broiler chicks

Journal Article · 11 December 2019 · Journal of Applied Poultry Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3382/japr/pfx003 · OSTI ID:2229550

Gatrell, S. K. ^[1]; Derksen, T. J. ^[2]; O’Neil, E. V. ^[3]; Lei, X. G. ^[4]

---

1. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States); Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS (United States); Cornell University
2. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States); University of Missouri-Columbia, MO (United States)
3. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States); University of California, Davis, CA (United States)
4. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States)

The potential of defatted microalgae from biofuel production in animal feeding remains unclear. The objective of this experiment was to determine the metabolic and environmental impacts of a defatted green microalgal biomass (DGA, Nannochloropsis oceanica, Cellana, Kailua-Kona, HI) in broiler chick diets. Day-old chicks (total = 180) were fed the control diet containing zero, 2, 4, 8, or 16% of DGA for 6 wk to determine the optimal level of DGA inclusion. Compared with chicks fed the control diet, only those fed the 16% DGA diet had lower (P < 0.05) ADG and feed use efficiency. The DGA feeding produced dose-dependent (linear) increases in starter period water intake (P < 0.0001, R² = 0.76) and in wk 6 relative weights of heart (P < 0.0001, R² = 0.45), liver (P = 0.09, R² = 0.19), and intestinal tract (P = 0.02, R² = 0.19), retentions of soluble inorganic phosphorus (P = 0.001, R² = 0.39) and DNA retention (P = 0.001, R² = 0.46), and ileal DNA content (P < 0.0001, R² = 0.50). Meanwhile, the DGA feeding led to weak linear decreases (P < 0.05, R² = 0.14 to 0.27) in wk 6 tibia weight and length and excretion of soluble inorganic phosphorus. In contrast, the DGA feeding did not affect relative weights of breast, proventriculus, or gizzard, tibial bone strength, or plasma DNA concentrations. In conclusion, this new type of DGA biomass may be supplemented into diets for broilers at 8% without adverse effects if the salt content is decreased.

• Research Organization: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Technology Development (EE-20)
• Grant/Contract Number: EE0007091
• OSTI ID: 2229550
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Poultry Research, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Poultry Research Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 26; ISSN 1056-6171
• Publisher: ElsevierCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English