Feri Eko Hermanto, Donny Tri Ardiansyah, Yuli Frita Nuningtyas, Filoza Marwi, Osfar Sjofjan, Muhammad Halim Natsir, Muhamad Hanif Rawi, Nasrul Hudayah
| Fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum was employed to enhance the bioactive metabolite profile of a combined ginger, turmeric, and teak leaf extract for use as a phytobiotic feed additive. The optimal fermentation duration was determined by evaluating total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. A 72-hour fermentation period was selected for in vivo testing as it yielded the highest flavonoid content, the most potent antioxidant capacity (indicated by the lowest IC50), and substantially elevated phenolic levels. In a 35-day broiler trial, this optimized fermented extract was incorporated into a basal diet at inclusion levels of 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8%. Supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) improved final body weight from 2.186 kg (control) to 2.433 kg (0.8% group) and enhanced feed conversion ratio from 1.593 to 1.365. These performance gains were concomitant with profound improvements in intestinal morphology. Birds fed the 0.8% diet exhibited significant (p < 0.05) increases in villus number (63.25 vs. 50.50), villus height (819.25 µm vs. 575.50 µm), villus width, total absorptive surface area, and crypt depth compared to the control. The study concludes that 72-hour fermentation optimally enriches the extract’s bioactivity, and its dietary inclusion enhances broiler growth performance by fundamentally improving gut health, as evidenced by the expansion of the absorptive surface and support of active mucosal renewal. © 2026 by the authors. Licensee ResearchersLinks Ltd, England, UK.
Department of Intelligent Livestock Industry, Faculty of Animal Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed, Faculty of Animal Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Animal Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Food Security Research Laboratory, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, 88400, Malaysia; Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute (PDTI), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand
