Effect of peanut meal degraded by enzymolysis and fermentation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and immune function of yellow-feathered broilers

Abstract The present study aimed to investigate the effect of peanut meal in vitro degraded with protease, Lactobacillus plantarum ( L. plantarum) or both on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and immune function of broilers. Diets contained 20% of raw peanut meal (control, CON) or degraded with protease (PPM), L. plantarum (LPM) or both (BPM), matching 4 groups of yellow-feather broiler chicks (6 replicates of 20 chicks each) from 1 to 63 d of age. Results showed that PPM, LPM and BPM increased (P < 0.001) the contents of peptides, acid-soluble protein and organic acids, but decreased (P < 0.001) nitrogen-free extract and phytate phosphorus. The PPM, LPM and BPM increased (P ≤ 0.003) feed intake, body weight gain, the digestibility of dry matter, energy, arginine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, and blood profiles of IgA, IgG and B lymphocytes. The BPM showed more pronounced (P < 0.05) effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and immune parameters than CON and LPM. It is concluded that peanut meal in vitro degraded by enzymolysis and fermentation can improve the nutritional properties and the application as feed for broilers.