article · Animals
Olive cake meal serves as an alternative protein and fat source for poultry, but its high fibre content typically limits digestion. This study evaluated the effects of supplementing broiler chicken diets with olive cake meal, at two or four percent, combined with the beneficial bacterium Bacillus licheniformis. Testing across 360 broilers demonstrated that adding the bacterial supplement to olive cake meal improved weight gain and feed conversion efficiency without changing overall feed intake. The combination also lowered abdominal fat and total blood cholesterol, whilst boosting beneficial high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total protein, and Newcastle disease antibody titres. Furthermore, birds receiving the four percent meal alongside the bacterium showed higher levels of muscle vitamin E, oleic acid, and linoleic acid, coupled with reduced liver oxidation markers. These findings confirm that Bacillus licheniformis enhances the nutritional value and utilisation of olive cake meal in broilers.
Poultry production relies heavily on finding sustainable, cost-effective feed alternatives without harming bird growth or welfare. Demonstrating that olive by-products can be effectively digested with bacterial supplementation provides a way to reduce reliance on conventional feed ingredients. It also enhances poultry health and meat nutritional qualities, including beneficial fatty acids and antioxidant content.
This research presents an applied dietary strategy for poultry feed manufacturers and broiler producers looking to utilise olive processing by-products. By incorporating Bacillus licheniformis as a direct feed additive, producers can upgrade agricultural waste into functional feed. Tested in a trial with 360 birds, the approach is at an applied and tested stage, though formulation at commercial farm scale remains a logical next step.
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Olive cake meal (OCM) is characterized by its high nutritional value and is used as an alternative source of protein and fats in poultry diets. However, due to the high percentage of fiber in OCM, beneficial bacteria cells are used to improve the digestion rates. Therefore, the influence of OCM and Bacillus licheniformis (BL) on the growth, nutrient utilization, blood chemistry, and muscle fatty acid profile of broilers was exclusively examined in this study. Three hundred and sixty birds were randomly divided into six experimental groups (6 replicates/10 birds each): Control, OCM (2%), OCM (4%), BL, OCM (2%)/BL, and OCM (4%)/BL groups. Although feed intake was not meaningfully influenced by dietary treatments, weight gain was enhanced and feed conversion ratio was reduced (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The abdominal fat was lowered in broilers fed OCM (2%), OCM (4%), OCM (2%)/BL, and OCM (4%)/BL diets without a difference to those fed BL only (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Interestingly, blood total protein, albumin, Newcastle disease (ND) titer, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were significantly increased, while total cholesterol was decreased by the mixture of OCM and BL (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Muscle oleic and linoleic acids, as well as vitamin E, increased significantly in broilers fed both OCM (4%) and BL, while linolenic acid increased in all groups except those fed BL and control diets (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Liver malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased by feeding BL or both OCM at 2% or 4% and BL (<i>p</i> < 0.05). In conclusion, the inclusion of BL to OCM diets resulted in improved fat utilization and, accordingly, enhanced growth, nutrient utilization, and antioxidative response in broilers. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended to use BL to improve the nutritional value of OCM and to increase the feed utilization of OCM by broilers.
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DOI: 10.3390/ani10040695
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