Effect of Crude Extracts of Edible Mushroom Species of Agaricus bisporus and Auricularia auricula on Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of Agaricus bisporus and Auricularia auricula crude extracts as feed additives on the growth performance of broiler chickens. The samples included 240 one-day-old chicks randomly divided into 8 dietary treatments, each treatment consisted of 3 replicates with 10 chicks per replicate. The dietary treatment groups were control group (T0), basal diet + zinc bacitracin (T1), basal diets + 0.4% Agaricus bisporus extract (T2), basal diet + 0.8% Agaricus bisporus extract (T3), basal diet + 1.2% Agaricus bisporus extract (T4), basal diet + 0.4% Auricularia auricula extract (T5), basal diet + 0.8% Auricularia auricula extract (T6), and basal diet + 1.2% Auricularia auricula extract (T7). The measured variables included feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and production index. In addition, the study aimed to evaluate the reducing sugars level, antioxidant IC50, and antimicrobial efficacy of mushroom extracts prepared using three different solvents (i.e., water, ethanol, and methanol). The findings indicated that methanolic extract contained higher reducing sugars and had better antimicrobial efficacy. The results of experimental research revealed that mushrooms crude extracts had no significant effects on the growth performance of broiler chickens.