Impact of yeast supplementation derived from dried banana residue on performance, egg quality, intestinal health, and feed cost in laying hens

Dried banana residue, a by-product of banana processing, holds potential as a valuable feed supplement for poultry. However, despite efforts to repurpose agricultural by-products, remnants from dried banana processing remain largely untapped. This study aimed to assess the potential of yeast derived from dried banana residue as a feed supplement for laying hens, evaluating its impact on performance, egg quality, small intestinal morphology, intestinal bacterial population, and feed cost. Sixty 17-week-old commercial layers were divided into two groups, with each group receiving either a control diet or a diet supplemented with yeast from dried banana residue. Over 90 days, no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were found in feed intake, egg production, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, egg mass, and egg quality traits between the groups. However, the yeast-supplemented group exhibited significantly higher villus height and a greater ratio of villus height to crypt depth (V:C ratio) in the duodenum compared to the control group (p