Abstract BACKGROUND The broiler industry is facing major challenges following the prohibition of antibiotic growth promoters, with phytobiotics being a promising potential alternative. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary chestnut burs and flower phytobiotics on performance, jejunal morphology, cecal microflora, visceral organs, and blood biochemicals in broiler chickens. Day‐old male Ross broiler chickens ( n = 384) were assigned to eight replicates, which were randomly allocated to six treatment groups for a 42‐day feeding trial. The treatments were as follows: BD – basal diet (without the addition of burs or flower chestnut extract or powder); VE – BD supplemented with 100 mg kg −1 vitamin E; BP – BD supplemented with 0.1% chestnut burs powder; FP – BD supplemented with 0.1% chestnut flower powder; BE – BD supplemented with 0.015% chestnut burs extract; and FE – BD supplemented with 0.015% chestnut flower extract. RESULTS The FP group achieved the highest body weight, gizzard weight, the longest gastrointestinal tract and small intestine length, and the lowest liver weight ( P < 0.01). The FP group also had a significantly lower feed conversion ratio than the BP and BE groups ( P = 0.049). All chestnut waste treatments increased the population of Lactobacillus spp. ( P < 0.01). The BE diet resulted in the lowest serum cholesterol level ( P < 0.01). CONCLUSION The FP group exhibited the highest growth performance and feed efficiency, whereas chestnut‐derived phytobiotics enhanced the villi surface area and the Lactobacillus spp. population. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.
Öztürk et al. (Sun,) studied this question.