Crude oligosaccharides extracted from bamboo shoots (Dendrocalamus asper) exhibit prebiotic activity and modulate intestinal morphology in broiler chickens without affecting growth performance

Vet World Vol.18 June-2025 Article - 35

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(6): 1789-1798

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.1789-1798

Janjira Sittiya¹, Supawadee Chimtong¹, Narin Thongwittaya², and Koh-en Yamauchi³

1. Program in Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Agricultural Technology, Silpakorn University, Phetchaburi, Thailand.

2. Faculty of Animal Sciences and Technology, Maejo University, Sansai, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

3. Laboratory of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa, Japan.

Background and Aim: Bamboo shoots (BOSs) (Dendrocalamus asper) are rich in lignocellulosic material that can be hydrolyzed into oligosaccharides with potential prebiotic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the prebiotic and antibacterial activities of crude oligosaccharides derived from BOSs and assess their effects on growth performance, carcass traits, cecal microbiota, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens.

Materials and Methods: In Experiment 1, BOSs were extracted using acid hydrolysis followed by enzymatic treatment, and their composition was confirmed through thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The prebiotic and antibacterial potential was evaluated in vitro against Lactobacillus plantarum and Escherichia coli. In Experiment 2, 240 broiler chicks (ROSS 308) were randomly allocated to four dietary groups (0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% BOSs) with six replicates each and reared for 42 days. Growth parameters, carcass traits, cecal bacterial counts, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal histomorphology were assessed.

Results: BOSs significantly enhanced the growth of L. plantarum and inhibited E. coli (p < 0.05), demonstrating both prebiotic and antibacterial activity. However, dietary inclusion of BOSs did not significantly affect feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, or mortality. Carcass traits, total aerobic bacteria, lactobacilli count in cecal digesta, and nutrient digestibility were not significantly altered. Notably, ileal villus height and crypt depth were significantly increased in the 0.1% BOSs group compared to the control (p < 0.05), indicating improved intestinal morphology.

Conclusion: BOSs exhibited promising prebiotic activity by promoting beneficial bacteria and suppressing pathogenic bacteria. While no adverse effects on growth or nutrient utilization were observed, BOSs improved ileal histomorphology, suggesting potential benefits for gut health. Further studies are recommended to optimize dosage and purity levels to maximize functional outcomes in poultry nutrition.

Keywords: bamboo shoots, broiler chickens, intestinal morphology, oligosaccharides, prebiotics.

How to cite this article: Sittiya J, Chimtong S, Thongwittaya N, and Yamauchi K (2025) Crude oligosaccharides extracted from bamboo shoots (Dendrocalamus asper) exhibit prebiotic activity and modulate intestinal morphology in broiler chickens without affecting growth performance , Veterinary World, 18(6): 1789–1798.

Received: 09-12-2024 Accepted: 27-05-2025 Published online: 27-06-2025

Corresponding author: Janjira Sittiya E-mail: sittiya_j@su.ac.th

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.1789-1798

Copyright: Sittiya, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.