Effects of Phellinus linteus-Fermented Wheat Bran on Growth Performance, Intestinal Morphology, and Modulation of...

This study investigated the effects of Phellinus linteus-fermented wheat bran (FWB) on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and modulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-antioxidant response element-associated gene expression in broilers during summer conditions. The fiber content and cellulolytic enzyme activity of wheat bran (WB) improved after fermentation. In addition, FWB had a significantly higher secondary metabolite content, such as crude polysaccharides, ergosterol, and crude triterpenoids. Moreover, FWB showed 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free-radical scavenging and ferrous ion-chelating abilities. Three hundred 1-day-old broiler chickens (Ross 308) were assigned into five groups fed the control diet or the control diet replaced with 5% WB, 10% WB, 5% FWB or 10% FWB. Over the entire experimental period, broilers in the 5% FWB group had a significantly lower feed conversion ratio than that of broilers in the control group. Assessment of blood characteristics revealed that broilers fed FWB had significantly higher serum superoxide dismutase activity and reduced malondialdehyde production. Measurement of the expression of antioxidant-related genes and proinflammatory cytokines in broiler peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed that partially replacing FWB in broiler diets enhanced the expression of antioxidant-related genes and decreased the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. These results indicated that P. linteus increased the feed value of WB and improved the growth performance and antioxidant capacity of broiler chickens, suggesting its potential for application in broiler diets during summer conditions.