Influence of cinnamaldehyde supplementation on growth performance and intestinal microbial composition in broiler chickens fed a low-protein diet

Cinnamaldehyde (CM), recognized for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant capabilities, is increasingly valued as an animal feed additive, primarily for its potential to augment gut health and promote general animal welfare. However, our understanding of CM as a feed additive to low-protein diet on broilers' growth performance and microbial composition is still limited. To investigate the effect of CM supplementation on the growth performance and microbial composition of broilers within a low-protein diet administration, we employed a combination of pathology, hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, and high-throughput sequencing (HTS) techniques. The results indicated a significant increase in body weight and feed efficiency ratio (P < 0.05) following CM administration. Meanwhile, the microbial taxonomic analysis found that feeding CM increased the richness of Firmicutes , Faecalibacterium , and Lactobacillus while diminishing the diversity of Bacteroidetes , Actinobacteria , Oscillospira , and Bacteroides . Besides, serum biochemical tests revealed that the CM administration significantly increased the immunity factors (IgA and IgE) than the low-protein (LP) group. These findings offer crucial insights into the interplay between gut microbiota and animal growth performance, elucidating the role of CM supplementation in the context of low-protein diets.