Research Information System
Ciencia e Agrotecnologia, vol.50, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Postbiotics are increasingly recognized as functional feed additives with the potential to improve poultry health and growth performance; however, their efficacy depends largely on their bioactive composition. This study evaluated the effects of postbiotics derived from Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus cultivated in different culture media on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and gut microbiota of broiler chickens. Three distinct postbiotic products— postbiotic 1(P1), postbiotic 2(P2), and postbiotic 3(P3)—were produced and characterized based on their physicochemical and bioactive properties. While L-lactic acid levels were similar among all postbiotics, P1 exhibited the highest acetic acid, antioxidant activity(DPPH), and total phenolic content. In contrast, P2 showed the highest levels of total lipid, total protein, and butyric acid. A total of 288 Ross 308 broiler chickens were allocated to experimental groups with six replicate pens per treatment and 12 birds per pen. The postbiotics (P1,P2 and P3) were incorporated into the basal diet at a level of 0.2%. Postbiotic supplementation significantly increased body weight on days 21 and 42. At the end of the 42-day feeding period, all postbiotic-treated groups demonstrated improved body weight gain and reduced feed conversion ratio. Additionally, carcass yield was significantly higher in birds receiving P2 and P3. A notable increase in relative duodenum weight was observed in the P2 group. Metagenomic analysis revealed enhanced diversity of beneficial gut microbiota, particularly in the P2 group. Overall, postbiotics produced using different growth media formulations of L. rhamnosus positively influenced broiler growth performance and intestinal health.