Studies with sanguinarine like alkaloids as feed additive in broiler diets

This research included two studies evaluating the live performance of broilers fed Sangrovit (R) (minimum of 1.5% sanguinarine, a quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid extracted from Macleaya cordata). Both studies were conducted using Ross 308 female broiler chicks. Birds were fed corn-soybean meal all-vegetable diets without growth promoters with 5 treatments and 8 replications in each study. In the first study, treatments were composed of a Negative Control without feed additive and four diets with graded increases of Sangrovit of 12.5, 25, 37.5, and 50 ppm. In the second study, chicks received a similar diet from placement to 21 days of age and subsequently were given feeds with graded reductions in crude protein (CP) as follow: a Negative Control with 19.7% CP without sanguinarine, and then 19.7, 19.2, 18.8 and 18.3% CP supplemented with Sangrovitat 20 ppm. It was demonstrated that body weight was increased when birds were fed 50 ppm of Sangrovit at 21 d when compared to the Negative Control. Also comparatively to the Negative Control, cumulative feed conversion was improved for birds fed with Sangrovit at 37.5 ppm as well as feed intake from placement to 7 days at 12.5 ppm. No differences were observed in feed intake. Birds supplemented with Sangrovit and 18.8% CP had similar body weight gain and feed intake as the Negative Control with 19.7% CP. Mortality in both studies was not correlated with the treatments. Results from both studies indicate benefits of the supplementation of Sangrovit in diets for broilers.