Dietary coated calcium butyrate and coated pomegranate peel powder modulate growth performance, blood biochemical parameters, cecal microflora, intestinal morphology, and meat quality in broiler chickens

This study evaluated coated calcium butyrate (CCB) and coated pomegranate peel powder (CPPP) effects on growth performance, carcass traits, blood biochemistry, cecal microflora, intestinal morphology, and meat quality in broilers. A total of 288 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were assigned to four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design (six pens of 12 birds per treatment) for 42 days: control, CCB (400 mg/kg), CPPP (400 mg/kg), and their combination (400 mg/kg each). CCB reduced grower feed conversion ratio (FCR; P < 0.001), whereas CPPP reduced overall FCR (P = 0.05). Combined supplementation reduced feed intake (FI) and body weight gain (BWG) during starter and grower periods and overall FI, but increased starter FCR (P ≤ 0.05). Carcass traits were not significantly affected by the treatments. Birds receiving either CCB or CPPP alone exhibited lower serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity than the control and combined-treatment groups (P < 0.001), while CCB increased serum catalase (CAT) activity (P = 0.02) and cecal lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts (P = 0.004). CCB also reduced ileal crypt depth (CD; P = 0.004), whereas CCB supplementation alone resulted in the highest villus height (VH)-to-crypt depth ratio (P = 0.002). In contrast, combined supplementation reduced VH (P = 0.004). CPPP increased thigh meat lightness (L*; P = 0.01) and yellowness (b*; P = 0.006), with a significant CCB × CPPP interaction for b* (P = 0.01). Overall, the additives individually improved feed efficiency, while CCB also benefited antioxidant status, cecal microbiota, and ileal morphology.