Encapsulated Fermeherbafit Bioavailability and the Application to Broilers

The research was conducted to evaluate the physical, chemical and biologic as well as the bioavailability of encapsulated fermeherbafit in broiler chickens. Fermeherbafit is a term coined in this study for a mix herbal fermentation. The materials used were: fermeherbafit material consisting of Curcuma domestica (turmeric), C. xanthorrhiza R. (ginger), Allium sativum L. (garlic), Morinda citrifolia (noni), Moringa oleifera (Moringa leaves), brown sugar and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) probiotic. Eighty broiler day-old chicks of strain MB 202 Platinum were reared until the age of 35 d. Research Phase 1 was the evaluation of the encapsulated ingredients consisted of treatments P₁ = 2% alginate:2% chitosan; P₂ = 4% alginate:2% chitosan; P₃ = 2% alginate:4% chitosan; P₄ = 4% alginate:4% chitosan; P₅ = 2% alginate:2% chitosan; P₆ = 4% alginate:2% chitosan; P₇ = 2% alginate:4% chitosan; P₈ = 4% alginate:4% chitosan. Research Phase 2 was the encapsulated fermeherbafit with treatments R₀ = control; R₁ = non-encapsulated fermeherbafit; R₂ = 1.5% encapsulated fermeherbafit; R₃ = 3.0% encapsulated fermeherbafit; R₄ = 4.5% encapsulated fermeherbafit. The results of Phase 1 study indicated that the most well-encapsulated fermeherbafit was treatment R₇ (2% alginate:4% chitosan) regarding the levels of protein, energy, LAB amount. The results of Phase 2 showed that the use of encapsulated fermeherbafit had significant effect (p < 0.05) on final weight, carcass weight, carcass percentage and liver weight, but had no effect (p > 0.05) on the abdominal fat percentage, intestine weight, bursa Fabricius weight, and the proventriculus weight. It can be concluded that the use of 1:1 of alginate and chitosan may retain fermeherbafit bioavailability, and its application to the chicken could be of up to 4.5%, with final broilers body weight of 1,179.75 ± 27.76 g and carcass weight of 826.7 ± 30.27 g (70.06% ± 1.33%) and liver weight of 22.625 ± 2.55 g.