Effect of Aspergillus Niger on Broilers Performance

This study was conducted to evaluate fungus, Aspergillus niger, as probiotics in broiler chickens. The Chickens were divided into 4 treatments with average weight (375± 4 g). First treatment as control fed control diet and other chicks were fed diets supplemented with Aspergillus niger at the levels of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1%. The birds were fed experimental diets until 27 d of age to evaluate the effect on growth, organs weights, abdominal fat content, muscle fat contents, muscle (TBARS, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance) and plasma biochemical parameters. Body weight gain was increased and feed intake and feed conversion ratio were decreased (P < 0.05) by the fungus. Plasma 3-methylhistidine as an index of skeletal muscle protein breakdown was decreased by the fungus. Due to the fungus, abdominal fat and plasma cholesterol were decreased (P<0.05), while fat content in the breast muscle was increased. Interestingly, muscle α-tocopherol content was increased (P < 0.01), and muscle TBARS as an index of lipid oxidation and (glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase activity, GOT) as an index of liver function were decreased (P < 0.001) by the fungus, indicating anti-oxidative activities of the fungus. In conclusion, feeding Aspergillus niger improved growth performance and meat quality. Thus, the fungus can be used as effective probiotics in broiler chickens. Ahmed. A. Saleh, et al.