Bacillus velezensis, isolado ou associado ao extrato de Libidibia ferrea, como potencial melhorador na produção e qualidade de ovos em linhagens leves de idade avançada

Abstract

Light strains at an advanced age usually have a drop in egg production, associated with aging and oxidative stress in the ovary. In this context, Bacillus velezensis, a spore-forming Gram-positive bacterium, has been studied due to its probiotic potential in several animal species, especially in poultry farming, where it has beneficial effects such as reducing oxidative stress and improving productive performance. At the same time, Libidibia ferrea (popularly known as jucá or ironwood), a plant species native to Brazil, has bioactive compounds with recognized antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Thus, its plant extract emerges as a promising alternative of natural additive, with the potential to optimize production parameters in poultry systems. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effects of supplementation with Bacillus velezensis BVO1 UNICLON (BV01) associated or not with Libidibia ferrea (LF) extract on the production and quality of light-line eggs of advanced age, since ovarian oxidative stress is related to the reduction in laying. The experiment was carried out at the great-grandparent farm of the company Hy Line do Brasil (Layer Genetics Brasil) in partnership with the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases (LADOC) of the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), using 100 birds, distributed in four groups (n=25): NC (negative control), BV (supplemented with BV01), LF (with LF) and LF+BV (association of LF and BV). The treatments were administered individually to 80-week-old birds, directly in the beak of each bird (100 μL/bird), with L. ferrea at 62.5 mg/mL and B. velezensis at 10⁷ cfu/mL. After 12 weeks, it was possible to evaluate daily and weekly egg production, bird weight, egg weight and shell strength. The data obtained allowed us to evaluate and conclude that BV01, alone or associated with Libidibia ferrea, promoted a significant increase in the production and quality of eggs of purebred lines of advanced age, being an alternative to improve performance in this phase.