The effect of sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (80%) and tween 20 (20%) supplementation in low-energy density diets on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, relative organ weight, serum lipid profiles, and excreta microbiota in broilers.

A total of 768 1-d-old Ross 308 male broiler chickens with an average body weight of 43.64 ± 0.59 g were used in a 5-wk feeding trial. The chickens were distributed into 4 treatments of 12 replications per treatment with 16 chickens per pen. Dietary treatments included the following: TRT1, basal diet; TRT2, -40 kcal diet + 0.05% emulsifier; TRT3, -60 kcal diet + 0.05% emulsifier; TRT4, -80 kcal diet + 0.05% emulsifier. The emulsifier contained 80% sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate and 20% tween 20. In our study, the treatment diets had no significant effect on growth performance, meat quality, relative organ weight, serum lipid profiles, and excreta microbiota. However, the birds were able to grow as well with less energy when the emulsifier was added. The supplementation of emulsifier in the low-energy diet linearly decreased cholesterol (P = 0.099) and LDL/C (P = 0.074). The fat digestion of broilers fed with TRT2, TRT3, and TRT4 was significantly higher than broilers fed with TRT1 diet. Our study result shows that the emulsifier used for the experiment is beneficial in the low-energy diet of broiler chickens.