Effects of dietary spirulina (Arthrospores platensis) on the growth performance and meat quality of broiler chickens

This study evaluated the effects of spirulina supplementation in broiler diets on growth performance of live birds and meat quality of carcasses. A total of 270 one-day-old Ross 708 broiler chicks were obtained from a local hatchery, weighed, and assigned to 18 floor pens (4’x4’ each, 15 birds/pen). Birds were fed corn and soybean meal (SBM) based diets supplemented with spirulina at inclusion levels of 0% (control), 2.5%, and 5% during the starter (0-2 weeks), grower (2-4 weeks), and finisher (4-6 weeks) phases. Body weight and feed intake were measured weekly to calculate body weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR). On 6th week, eighteen broilers (one bird per pen) were processed and evaluated for color, meat quality, and sensory attributes. No significant difference was observed among the dietary treatments for feed intake, FCR, or body weight throughout the study period. Spirulina supplementation had no significant effect on villi height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and VH/CD ratio ( P > 0.05). However, spirulina supplementation positively influenced gut microbiome composition by promoting the abundance of fiber-fermenting and probiotic-associated bacteria while maintaining microbial balance. No significant effects were observed on chilling yield, pH, or shear force across the treatment groups ( P > 0.05). A notable increase in yellowness (b*) was observed in carcass skin and skinless fillets ( P < 0.05). Sensory analysis revealed that 2.5% spirulina enhanced appearance scores ( P < 0.05), whereas 5% spirulina reduced juiciness (p < 0.05), with no change for flavor, tenderness, aftertaste, and overall. Based on these results, spirulina served as an alternative feed resource up to 5.0% inclusion with favorable effects on gut health and carcass yellowness.