Influence of green tea powder on the performance, nutrient utilisation, caecal microbiota profile and meat quality of broiler chickens

This study assessed the influence of green tea powder diet supplementation on performance, nutrient utilisation, caecal microbiota profile and meat quality in broiler chickens. A total of 144, one-day-old broiler (Ross 308) chicks were allocated to 18 cages (eight broilers/cage) which were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments: a wheat-based basal diet or supplemented with one of two types of green tea; normal (N-GT) or selenium-rich (Se-GT) tea, at an inclusion rate of 1%. Bird performance, nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn), and total tract digestibility of fat and starch were measured on d 7, 21 and 35. Effects on microbiota profile on d 7, 21 and 35 were determined in a cohort study. Green tea supplementation reduced (P<0.05) the weight gain and feed intake but improved (P<0.05) feed efficiency. Supplementation with N-GT increased the AMEn on d 7 and 21, and with Se-GT on d 7 (P<0.05). AMEn increased with age for all treatments. Fat digestibility increased (P<0.05) in birds fed N-GT on d 21 and Se-GT on d 7 and 21. Starch digestibility increased (P<0.05) on d 21 with N-GT supplementation and on d 7 with Se-GT supplementation. Carcass and breast meat yields were unaffected (P<0.05) by the dietary treatments. The abdominal fat pad decreased (P<0.05) in the N-GT diet and numerically in the Se- GT diet. Drip loss was less in meat from birds (P<0.05) fed both green tea treatments. Cooking loss was reduced in the Se-GT treatment (P<0.05). Dietary inclusion of green tea powder positively influenced microbiota profile, with increased (P<0.05) numbers of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.) and reduced (P<0.05) numbers of pathogenic bacteria (Clostridium spp. and Bacteroides spp.). Differences were observed between the two green tea types, with Se-GT being more beneficial than N-GT in the positive modulation of intestinal microbiota.