Effects of dietary propionic acid, sodium citrate, and phytase on growth performance, mineral digestibility, and tibia properties in broilers

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing a low available phosphorous (P) diet (0.14%) with phytase, propionic acid, and sodium citrate on performance, mineral metabolism, and tibia properties of broilers. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments based a completely randomized design was used to evaluate the effects of phytase (0 and 300 units kg ⁻¹), propionic acid (0% and 0.2%), and sodium citrate (0% and 3%). The phytase improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) and increased feed intake (FI), digestibility of Ca, percentage Ca of tibia ash, and bone-breaking strength (P < .05). Broilers fed with a diet supplemented with sodium citrate had higher digestibility of Ca, and bone breaking strength than those fed the control diet (P < .01). Propionic acid increased the body weight gain (BWG) and FI was compared to the control group (P < .01). An interaction was found between phytase and sodium citrate on increasing BWG, digestibility of P, serum P content, percentage of tibia ash and P (P < .05). Supplemental sodium citrate or propionic had no significant effect on FCR, digestibility of Ca, and Ca in tibia ash (P > .05). Moreover, propionic acid supplementation to diet did not affect the percentage of tibia ash and bone breaking strength (P > .05). Results of this experiment indicated that supplementation of sodium citrate to the P-deficient diet improved the phytase effect, growth, and utilization of phytate-P.