The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of the increase levels of antibiotics associated with the pink pepper meal (PPM) on animal performance and intestinal morphometry of broilers jejunum. A total of 528 day-old male chicks, Cobb 500, distributed in a randomized design of six treatments and four replicates of 22 birds each: T1 - Negative Control (NC) - basal diet without PPM or antibiotics, T2 - Positive Control (PC) - basal diet with 1,2% PP; T3 - PC + 11ppm zinc bacitracin and 17ppm salinomycin, T4 - PC + 22ppm zinc bacitracin and 34ppm salinomycin, T5 - PC + 33ppm zinc bacitracin and 51ppm salinomycin, T6 - PC + 45ppm zinc bacitracin and 67ppm salinomycin. In period of 1-43 days-old, it was observed that the use of PPM with or without antibiotcs reduced feed intake and improved feed:gain ratio compared with NC (P≤0,05). It was observed that the broilers fed diet with antibiotics values of up to 22mg kg-1 of zinc bacitracin and 34mg kg-1 of salinomycin associated with the PPM had the higher villus height compared with NC. The PPM can be used to replace antibiotic growth promoters without decrease on animal performance, viability and production factor.
growth promoter antibiotics; jejunal mucosa; phytochemistry; produtivity; Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi
