Adding whole quillaja saponins to broiler diets can improve feed-conversion efficiencies and bodyweight gain compared to yucca-based saponins, potentially improving returns on investment for poultry producers.
Saponins are well-known for their role in supporting bird performance,1 gut health2 and immune health. But in the latest research, scientists have uncovered greater insight into how different types of saponins, specifically quillaja, yucca and blends of the two, contribute to these outcomes.
In a series of five commercial trials carried out with a broiler integrator over a single year, researchers aimed to evaluate how different saponin products would perform under the integrator’s feed-additive program.
Study design
In a study looking at the impact of saponin sources, the team compared the performance of a whole quillaja-based saponin product (Enviro QSTMDF) and a combination of a pure yucca product with a probiotic of the customer’s choice.
The research team gave each treatment to 216 birds. At 33 days of age, compared to the yucca saponin product, Enviro QSDF showed a three-point improvement in feed-conversion ratio (FCR) or a four-point improvement when adjusting FCR to a common bodyweight.
Performance results
“In short, Enviro QSDF showed improved performance compared to birds fed a yucca-based saponin product and similar performance results to birds fed a quillaja/yucca-based saponin blend,” said Maci Oelschlager, PhD, animal scientist and technology lead at Cargill, who led the trials.
“This was true with or without the supplementation of the integrator’s probiotic of choice,” she added.
When comparing Enviro QSDF with a product combining quillaja and yucca-based saponins, the birds’ performance was similar between the two products.
However, when evaluating gut-health parameters, broilers fed Enviro QSDF demonstrated a numerical reduction in coccidia oocyst counts when compared to birds fed the quillaja/yucca-based combination saponin product.
This reduction was mirrored in midgut micro-scores evaluation, a critical marker of enhanced gut health. The scoring ranged from zero (no oocysts) to 4 (more than 100 oocysts). In this evaluation, the quillaja/yucca-based combination saponin product had a higher number of birds showing lesion scores of 2 to 4 when compared with Enviro QSDF.
Oelschlager said the structural differences of quillaja and yucca saponins — with quillaja being a triterpenoid and yucca a steroid — could account for their differing effects on broiler health and performance.
The most pronounced performance differences were observed when comparing quillaja-based saponin products to the yucca-based saponin products.
“Whole-product quillaja saponins consistently outperformed yucca-based saponin products, which is a critical consideration for poultry producers when selecting saponin supplements,” she explained.
“The health and production benefits gained from these types of products have made them an integral part of additive rotation programs used by broiler integrators in the US. They play a key role within no-antibiotic-ever programs,” she said.
The trials suggest that feeding quillaja saponins could lead to an improved return on investment for poultry producers, Oelschlager added.
“This research emphasizes the importance of selecting the right saponin product type for optimal broiler health and performance, providing valuable insights for producers looking to improve efficiency and sustainability in their operations.”
1 Francis G, Kerem Z, Makkar HP, Becker K. The biological action of saponins in animal systems: a review. Br J Nutr. 2002;88(6):587-605. doi:10.1079/BJN2002725
2 Blue CEC, Emami NK, White MB, Cantley S, Dalloul RA. Inclusion of Quillaja Saponin Clarity Q Manages Growth Performance, Immune Response, and Nutrient Transport of Broilers during Subclinical Necrotic Enteritis. Microorganisms. 2023;11(8):1894. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11081894
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