Effect of dietary Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on growth performance and immune function of broilers

Abstract Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine possessing many properties such as anti-oxidant and immunomodulation. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy of LBP in broilers. A total of 240 newly hatched broilers were randomly allotted into 4 treatments with 6 replicates. Diets in 3 treatment groups were supplemented with 2, 4, and 8 g/kg LBP, respectively, based on the control diet. Lymphocytes isolated from broiler blood were used to detect immunoregulation function of LBP in vitro. Results in vivo showed that average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the 4 g/kg LBP group were decreased significantly (P