What’s Grapefruit Seed Extract Good For Chickens?
Grapefruit seed extract(GSE) is a natural mixture of polyphenols extracted from the seeds, pulp, and white membranes of grapefruit and is a by-product of wine and grape juice production. His main bioactive polyphenols consist mainly of flavonoid compounds gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin and proanthocyanidins (GSP). The results show that GSP has many beneficial properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammation and immunomodulator, and is a strong in vivo activity factor, not only for humans but also for animals, including chickens.
Most feed-grade grape seed extracts are extracted through a process that involves organic solvents or water-alcohols (methanol/ethanol) mixtures. The water-alcohol mixture mainly extracted brass monomer, dimer and trimer proanthocyanidins from grape seeds, while organic solvent could be used to extract proanthocyanidins with high polymerization degree. This mixture is then processed to create the final extract, which contains compounds like flavonoids, polyphenols, and vitamin E. Grapefruit Seed Extract proanthocyanidins have a very strong antioxidant activity, which can remove free radicals in the moving objects, improve the nutritional metabolic environment, strengthen the animal physique and relieve the adverse stress.
Benefits of Grapefruit Seed Extract for Chickens
Immune System Support
Research suggests that GSE may support the immune system of chickens, helping them resist common poultry infections. Experiments have shown that adding grape seed extract to broiler diets can lead to a significant increase in antibody titer against the Newcastle disease virus vaccine, but there are no studies on grape seed extract enhancing humoral immune response ability of broilers. It is generally believed that grape seed extract’s immunostimulating function is mainly due to its antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties, which can increase the integrity of B lymphocytes, promote their proliferation and differentiate into antibodies that produce plasma cells.
Antimicrobial Properties
GSE possesses antimicrobial properties and parasiticidal that could help combat bacteria, viruses, and fungi, assisting in controlling parasites, and supporting overall health in chickens. It can be mixed with chicken feed or water, ensuring the chickens consume it as part of their regular diet or hydration routine.
Improve Meat Quality
Although there are not many studies on grape seed extract and broilers, some positive effects of GSE can be observed in meat quality. Grape seed extract can reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels. El-Damrawy et al. confirmed that proanthocyanidins and polyphenols can bind cholesterol and increase their content in excreta, and grape seed extract can significantly reduce serum LDL levels in heat-stressed broilers at 100 and 200ppm. In addition, grape seed extract polyphenols can improve the antioxidant function of broilers. Brenes et al. confirmed that polyphenols in grape seed extract can be absorbed by the body at a certain level and enhance the antioxidant capacity of chicken tissues.
Growth Performance Enhancement
GSE might aid in maintaining a healthy digestive tract for chickens, promoting proper digestion and absorption of nutrients. The dietary addition of low-level grape seed extract can promote the growth of broilers. Natural polyphenols have a strong antioxidant function and can significantly relieve stress. Dietary grape seed extract can significantly reduce the diarrhea index of weaned piglets, which may be because it balances the intestinal microecological environment and reduces the stress response, thereby reducing the diarrhea index of broilers and improving the laying rate and feed intake of laying hens. These practices all show that natural feed additives can improve the anti-stress ability of livestock.