Application of a Tannin Nano-Absorber: effect on performance, blood parameters, meat quality and nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens fed diets containing sorghum grain.

One hundred and sixty day-old male broiler chickens were used in a completely randomized design to study the effect of different levels of a tannin nano-absorber (TN) on growth performance, blood parameters, carcass and meat quality, tibia bone ash and nutrient digestibility. The experiment consisted of four dietary treatments comprising; T1: a positive control diet consisting of 60% corn, T2: 30% corn plus 30% sorghum grain plus 0.25% tannin nano-absorber, T3: 30% corn plus 30% sorghum grain plus 0.063% tannin nano-absorber, and T4:30% corn plus 30% sorghum grain (negative control). Each treatment had four replicates of 10 broiler chickens. The experiment lasted for 42 days and water and feed were offered ad libitum. The results showed that addition of tannin nano-absorber to the diet increased body weight gain, decreased feed intake and improved feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05). Supplementation of the diet with tannin nano-absorber also increased the concentration of blood constituents including glucose, albumin, protein, hemoglobin and red blood cells (P < 0.05). Tannin nano-absorber had no effect on carcass quality, however it increased drip loss of the meat (P ≤ 0.01). Crude lipid and protein digestibility were increased (P ≤ 0.05), but inclusion of TN had no effect on tibia bone ash and gizzard and ileum digesta pH. It was concluded that supplementation of a corn/sorghum diet with TN at the level of 0.063% could improve growth performance, increase blood metabolites, and enhance nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens.