Harnessing functional feed additives for sustainable production: The role of Bacillus coagulans and Paenibacillus polymyxa mixture in improving production and health of meat-type quails

Mahmoud M Alagawany^1*Fayiz Reda¹Mohamed T El-Saadony¹Ayman S Salah²Layla A Almutairi³Mohammed A Alqahtani #⁴Soha A Alamoudi⁵Saleh Altuwaijri⁶Khalid A El-Tarabily⁷

• ¹Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
• ²New Valley University, Kharga, Egypt
• ³Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ⁴King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
• ⁵King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• ⁶Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
• ⁷United Arab Emirates University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

ABSTRACT Introduction: Despite the widespread interest in using Bacillus spp. as a probiotic in poultry diets, no evidence has been found to support the use of Paenibacillus polymyxa in the diet of Japanese quails. This study examined the effects of supplementing growing Japanese quail with a mixture of Bacillus coagulans and P. polymyxa (Bc+Pp) on their growth performance, antioxidative activity, immunological status, digestive enzymes, cecal microbiota, and blood chemistry. Methods: Two hundred unsexed one-week-old meat-type quail chicks were divided into four groups at random; five pens, each containing ten birds. These brids were provided with a basic feed as a control group, or a feed diet treated with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg kg-1 of Bc+Pp mixture (1:1). Results: According to the findings, the growing quail's growth performance was significantly (P<0.05) enhanced by supplementing the Bc+Pp mixture. Body weight and body weight gain were boosted significantly (P=0.0002, P=0.0003) by Bc+Pp mixture supplementation at 5 weeks and 1-5 weeks. In contrast, feed consumption showed a non-significant difference (P=0.8082) with the treatments within 1-5 weeks. Moreover, the feed conversion ratio was significantly (P<0.05) boosted (P=0.0137) with the supplementation of the Bc+Pp mixture. Furthermore, Bc+Pp mixture supplementation provided a significant boost in carcass traits, especially liver, gizzard, and giblet percentage (P=0.0112, P=0.0976, P=0.0028). The current result showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in total protein, albumin, and globulin with supplementation of the Bc+Pp mixture. Moreover, the treatment significantly (P<0.05) reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein. Superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity, reduced glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase were significantly (P<0.05) improved by supplementation of the Bc+Pp mixture. Furthermore, the digestive enzymes significantly (P<0.05) improved, and the total bacterial and lactic acid bacteria counts were significantly (P<0.05) augmented, whereas the counts of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, total coliform, and Enterococcus spp. were significantly (P<0.05) decreased with dietary bacterial mixture treatments. Discussion: In conclusion, supplementing growing Japanese quail with a mixture of Bc+Pp has a positive impact on their growth performance, antioxidative status, immunological response, digestive enzymes, and cecal microbiota.