This experiment was conducted to develop super worm-based postbiotics and examine its response on growth performance, nutrients digestibility, immunity, gut microbiota, apparent metabolizable energy, intestinal histology and economics of meat type chickens. Already developed cultures of lactobacillus acidophilus in the laboratory of microbiology confirmed through DNA sequence analysis and preserved at-20Ċ⁰were used. The bacterial culture was rejuvenated and kept at -20 Ċ⁰in deinMan, Sharpe and Rogosa (MRS) medium (Darmstadt, Merck,) inclusion with 20 percent (Sharpe V/V) glycerol. Sterile 0.8% (W/V) sodium chloride (Merck, Darmstadt) solution was used to wash the active bacterial cells and adjusted to 3×10⁹ Cfu per ml to prepare inoculums and stored at −20 °C until mixed with wheat bran. The super worm’s cultures were kept in environmentally controlled chamber and prepared spray of lactobacillus acidophilus was applied @ of 3×10⁹ Cfu per ml per kg of substrate per week. Full fat super worms produced in wheat bran supplemented with the mentioned bacterial culture till harvesting was used for its evaluation on broilers. For this purpose, a total hundred and fifty, one day old healthy meat type chicks were purchased from local commercial hatchery and were assigned to five experimental groups. Chicks in group A were provided with basal ration having no postbiotics and was maintained as control while birds in the other four groups were provided the same ration mixed with the super worm-based postbiotics at the dose level of 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8%, respectively. Feed consumption, weight gain and feed conversion ratio among experimental groups were found significantly improved in treated groups provided with different levels of super worm-based postbiotics. Microbial count of lactobacillus acidophilus was significantly(p<0.05) increased while that of salmonella and E. coli was significantly decreased in Pos-Bio 0.8% as compared to control and other dietary groups. Nutrients digestibility of different nutrients and apparent metabolizable energy was increased in treated groups as compared to negative control group. Similarly, carcass yield and economic return was also increased in the treatments Pos-Bio 0.6% and 0.8% as compared to non-treated group. Intestinal morphologic features (length and weight of villus and crypt depth) were increased in probiotics supplemented groups 0.6 % and 0.8 % as compared to control. Immune boosting effect in the form (p<0.05) high antibodies titer against IB, IBD and ND was observed in chicks provided with 0.6%, 0.8%, 0.4% 0.2% postbiotics as compared chicks maintained without postbiotics. Based on present data we   concluded that the use of super worm-based postbiotics improved the productive performance of broilers through its positive effect on nutrient digestibility, metabolizable energy, Intestinal morphologic features, robust growth of gut commensals, reduced gut pathogens count and boosted immune response against prevalent viral diseases. Regular use of super worm-based postbiotics at the dose rate of 0.8% in the diet of broilers chicks is recommended for best performance and high economic return.

Keywords: super worm, postbiotics, nutrient digestibility, apparent metabolizable energy, immunity, gut microbiota, growth performance