Effect of a novel strain of Lactobacillus brevis M8 and tea polyphenol diets on performance, meat quality and intestinal microbiota in broilers

Abstract

A 56-day experiment was conducted with 480 yellow-feathered broilers to determine the effects of Lactobacillus brevis M8 (LB) and tea polyphenols (TP) on their growth performance, meat quality and gut microbiota. Broilers were assigned randomly to eight groups: CTL (negative control); LB (1.0 × 108 cfu kg−1⋅BW LB); TP (0.06 g kg−1⋅BW TP); LLB (1.0 × 106 cfu kg−1⋅BW LB +0.06 g kg−1⋅BW TP); MLB (1.0 × 108 cfu kg−1⋅BW LB +0.06 g kg−1⋅BW TP); HLB (1.0 × 1010 cfu kg−1⋅BW LB +0.06 g kg−1⋅BW TP); LTP (0.03 g kg−1⋅BW TP +1.0 × 108 cfu kg−1⋅BW LB); and HTP (0.09 g kg−1⋅BW TP +1.0 × 108 cfu kg−1⋅BW LB). All groups were divided among three experiments: Exp. 1 (CTL, LB, TP, MLB); Exp. 2 (CTL, LLB, MLB, HLB); Exp. 3 (CTL, LTP, MLB, HTP). Compared with the control, significantly decreased body weights (BW) of LB and TP groups were observed during a period of 56 days (p