Dietary Ecliptae herba improved growth performance and meat quality possibly associated with gut microbiota and metabolomic changes in Lingshan chickens

Abstract

This study investigated the regulatory effects of dietary Ecliptae herba supplementation on the growth performance, meat quality, gut microbiota, and metabolome of Lingshan chickens. A total of 72 healthy 60-day-old Lingshan chickens were randomly allocated to four groups (3 replicates/group, 6 birds/replicate) and fed either a basal diet (Con) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.2%, 0.4%, or 0.6% E. herba for 49 days. Dietary inclusion of 0.4% and 0.6% E. herba increased average daily gain (ADG) and decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR) ( P < 0.05). Meat quality analysis revealed that both supplementation levels reduced drip loss and cooking loss in both breast and thigh muscles, while enhancing thigh muscle redness ( P < 0.05). Further, dietary E. herba optimized gut microbiota composition by enriching beneficial taxa and suppressing potential pathogens. Additionally, untargeted metabolomics identified amino acid biosynthesis and protein digestion and absorption as the key metabolic pathways upregulated by E. herba treatment. Collectively, dietary E. herba effectively improved the growth performance and meat quality of Lingshan chickens, and these beneficial effects may be associated with the observed changes in gut microbiota composition and metabolic pathways. These findings provide a scientific basis for the potential application of E. herba as a natural feed additive in sustainable poultry production.