Effect of citric acid supplementation in broiler diets on performance and intestinal microflora

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding graded levels of citric acid on performance of broiler chicks, ileal content of coliforms, lactobacilli and total bacteria count. Ileal pH as well as some blood constituents has been determined. One hundred sixty, one day-old male Hubbard broiler chicks were fed on corn-soy basal diet supplemented with five graded levels of citric acid as 0.0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8%. Average body gains of chicks were 2% to 5% greater by feeding various levels of citric acid, however, these improvements lacked significance. There were no significant effects on feed consumption or feed efficiency ratio. Feeding dietary citric acid led to sharp reduction in ileal content of coliforms bacteria and bacterial total count, but the number of lactobacilli bacteria was slightly increased. Ileal pH values were slightly decreased as dietary citric acid increased gradually. Blood content of total proteins were significantly decreased, while there was no significant effect on blood total lipids or cholesterol content. The relative weight of liver was slightly less by feeding dietary citric acid but there was no effect on bursa or spleen weight. Small intestine thickness was not affected.