Applied Agriculture Sciences
Agriculture and food sciences | Online ISSN: 3066-3407
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Articles
Volume 4 Number 1 2026
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Bromelain as a Natural Feed Additive Enhances Growth Performance and Feed Conversion Efficiency in Broiler Chickens
Saif Shakir Mahmood Al Jassan1, Nihad Abdul-Lateef Ali2*
Applied Agriculture Sciences 4 (1) 1-11 https://doi.org/10.25163/agriculture.4110750
Submitted: 02 March 2026 Revised: 29 April 2026 Accepted: 04 May 2026 Published: 06 May 2026
Abstract
The increasing restriction on synthetic growth promoters in poultry production has encouraged the search for safer and more sustainable natural feed additives. Among these, bromelain—a proteolytic enzyme complex derived from pineapple—has gained attention because of its digestive, antioxidant, and metabolic properties. The present study investigated the effects of supplementing different concentrations of bromelain enzyme on the productive performance of broiler chickens. A total of 300 unsexed Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments with three replicates each. Birds received either a basal diet without bromelain (control) or diets supplemented with 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 g bromelain/kg feed for 35 days. Growth-related parameters including live body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality rate, and production index were evaluated throughout the experimental period. The results demonstrated that bromelain supplementation positively influenced broiler productivity, particularly at moderate to higher inclusion levels. Birds in treatments receiving 1.5–2.5 g/kg bromelain exhibited significantly greater live body weight and total body weight gain during the later growth stages compared with the control group. Feed intake was generally unaffected, although slightly greater consumption was observed in higher-dose treatments during the final week. Importantly, feed conversion ratio improved significantly in birds supplemented with 1.5 and 2.5 g/kg bromelain, indicating enhanced feed utilization efficiency. Mortality rates remained unaffected among treatments, while the production index increased noticeably in bromelain-supplemented groups. Overall, the findings suggest that dietary bromelain may serve as a promising natural feed additive capable of improving growth performance and feed efficiency in broiler chickens without adverse effects on survivability.
Keywords: Bromelain enzyme, broiler chickens, feed conversion ratio, productive performance, natural feed additive
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