Nutritive and therapeutic value of fermented rice bran as a feed additive for enhancing performance and health in chickens: a review.

Identifying alternative and economical ingredients is essential to partially substitute commercial animal feed, potentially reducing the overall cost of animal production. Rice bran (RB) is a potential animal feed ingredient due to its economical price and elevated unsaturated oil content. The use of more economical materials, such as RB, has emerged as a prominent alternative for reducing feed costs. However, the incorporation of RB provides anti-nutritional factors, including phytic acid and a high fiber content, which is the primary concern regarding its use. Despite its drawbacks, RB offers a high protein content when processed. There are numerous methods to process RB, one of which involves creating Fermented rice bran (FRB). This process includes heating RB and using de-oiled RB with fermented rice being the most prevalent type used in animal feed. Previous studies have indicated an enhancement in growth performance characterized by increased weight gain, reduced feed conversion ratio, and optimal feed intake. FRB also enhanced the properties of carcasses. FRB incorporation diminishes blood cholesterol levels and influences tibia ash in animals. Furthermore, the fermentation technique used for RB aids in raising antioxidant levels in animals and may also bolster immune responses. In the context of agricultural sustainability, processed RB, an agricultural by-product with significant nutritional content, serves as an excellent feed supplement for animal production. In conclusion, it can be widely applied for poultry production to improve growth performance, carcass quality, and poultry health, including increasing immunity and regulating oxidation.