Effects of dietary Fibrafid as phytogenic supplementation in standard and nutrient-reduced diets on breast meat quality, carcass traits, histopathology, and feed efficiency in heat-stressed broilers.

Abstract

Combating heat stress (HS), increasing broiler productivity, and enhancing meat quality are the major priorities in hot climate areas. This study evaluated the effects of Fibrafid, a natural plant-derived product, compared to a commercial prebiotic (TURBO Grow), on meat quality, physicochemical characteristics, carcass features, jejunal histopathology, final average body weight (ABW), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in heat-stressed broilers fed either a standard or reduced nutrient density diet (diet with a 5% drop in amino acid density and a 1.5% reduction in ME). A total of 576 Ross 308 broilers were allocated to eight treatments in a 2 × 4 factorial design, with two diet types (standard vs. reduced) and four additive treatments (none, Fibrafid 0.15%, Fibrafid 0.25%, and TURBO Grow 0.10%). Carcass yield, breast meat physicochemical traits, texture, and intestinal morphology were assessed at 35 days of age, as well as overall ABW and FCR. Two-way ANOVA revealed that diet and additive exerted significant main effects on several traits, with some diet × additive interactions. Fibrafid at 0.25% improved water-holding capacity, reduced cooking loss, and increased myofibrillar fragmentation index, while both Fibrafid levels revealed a better gut environment, indicating improved nutrition absorption compared with controls. TURBO Grow supplementation showed intermediate benefits. Carcass weight, carcass yield, and Warner-Bratzler shear force remained unaffected by diet or additives. Reduced diets did not impair breast yield when supplemented with Fibrafid. In conclusion, these results indicate that Fibrafid at 0.25% enhanced meat quality, breast yield, and intestinal integrity in heat-stressed broilers across both dietary regimens, supporting its potential as a functional feed additive under challenging production conditions.