Rape bee pollen outperforms camellia bee pollen in enhancing gut health and antioxidant capacity of wanxi white goose.

Bee pollen is rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, exhibiting properties such as antioxidant effects, immune enhancement, and promotion of growth and development. However, there are limited studies on the use of bee pollen in goose breeding. This study aimed to investigate the effects of rape bee pollen (RBP) and camellia bee pollen (CBP) on production performance, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activity, antioxidant and immune indices, and gut microbiota in Wanxi white goose. In this study, 180 30-day-old Wanxi white goose with similar body weight were randomly divided into three groups with three replicates containing 20 goose each replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet, RBP group received the basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg RBP, and CBP group received the basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg CBP. The experiment lasted for 60 days, with sampling conducted at 60 and 90 days of age. The results revealed that RBP could significantly increase the full eviscerated rate of Wanxi white goose. Additionally, RBP and CBP significantly improved the structure of small intestine tissue, enhanced antioxidant capacity and digestive enzyme activity, and regulated the cecal microbial community structure of Wanxi white goose, with RBP demonstrating superior effects compared to CBP. Taken together, RBP and CBP significantly improved serum biochemical indices, intestinal function and the composition of intestinal flora in Wanxi white goose, with RBP demonstrating superior effects compared to CBP.