Aves, Pesca e Ciências da Vida Selvagem
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Abstrato

Efficacy of Microalgal Biomass in Poultry Nutrition

Sandhya Deepika D*, Laxmi Sowmya K, Ravi Kiran K

The rapid growth of chicken broilers, the availability of its high-quality meat at low sales prices, and its rapid response to changes in ration composition have increased the researchers attention to producing chicken meat enriched with functional ingredients. Microalgae can be efficiently used in poultry nutrition to enhance the pigmentation and nutritional value of meat and eggs, as well as partial replacement of conventional dietary protein sources. Spirulina (Athrospira sp.) is an edible microalga and a highly nutritious potential feed resource for many agriculturally important animal species. Research findings have associated Spirulina to improvements in biomass, chicken meat colour, chicken meat quality and egg quality. Spirulina intake has also been linked to an improvement in health and welfare. Its influence over animal development stems from its nutritive and protein‐rich composition, thus leading to an increased commercial production to meet consumer demand. Consequently, Spirulina is emerging as a cost‐ effective means of improving poultry productivity for a sustainable and viable food security future. In this review, we unveil the use of microalgae as a feed ingredient in poultry nutrition.