This study investigated the effects of fermentation product containing phytase (FPP) that was fermented using waste vinegar residue (WVR) as substrate from Aspergillus ficuum NTG-23 on productive performance, egg quality, and phosphorus apparent metabolism of laying hens. First, 375 22-wk-old Jinghong hens were allocated into 5 treatments (5 replicates of 15 hens each) in an 8-wk experiment for evaluating the parameters of productive performance, egg quality, serum, and tibia. Experimental diets contained 4% FPP and 96% corn-soybean diet. The levels of dicalcium phosphate (DCP) were 1.34, 1.01, 0.67, 0.34 and 0%. Next, thirty 31-wk-old Jinghong hens were fed 5 types of diets for evaluating phosphorous apparent metabolism rate. Egg productive rate, egg weight, feed conversion ratio, Haugh unit, egg albumen height, serum calcium, tibia ash, tibia ash calcium and tibia breaking strength were not different significantly among 5 treatments. The significant difference of average daily feed intake was not appeared when the DCP content of corn-soybean-FPP diet was reduced to 0.67%; the eggshell hardness, eggshell thickness and serum phosphorus were not reduced significantly until the DCP content of corn-soybean-FPP diet was reduced to 0.34%. The yolk color was improved when the laying hens fed deficient DCP corn-soybean-FPP diet. A 22.14% reduction in excreta phosphorus was observed when the laying hens fed low phosphorus (0.67% DCP) corn-soybean-FPP diet. A 30% elevation of phosphorus apparent metabolism rate was obtained when the DCP content of corn-soybean-FPP diet was decreased from 1.34 to 1.01%. The reducing cost of layer diet was totalized about 120 CNY 1 000 kg-1 diet when the content of DCP was 0.67% in corn-soybean-FPP diet. These results indicated that FPP could be applied in laying hen as a potential, cost-effective and rational application of WVR.

The experimental knowledge on efficacy, possible modes of action and aspects of application of Chinese herbs as feedadditives for animal production are reviewed in this article. Chinese herbs commonly contain protein, carbohydrate, fat,vitamins, and mineral which are necessary nutrients to the growth of animal. Polysaccharide, organic acid, alkaloids, andessential oils involved in Chinese herbs can improve the immune function of livestock. Currently, numerous studies havedemonstrated anti-oxidative and anti-microbial efficacy and the assumption that Chinese herbs may improve the flavor ofmeat, which has been confirmed by some observations, but the mode of this action is still unclear. Moreover, severalobservations support the hypothesis that herbal feed additives may favorably affect gut functions (e.g., enzyme activity,microbial eubiosis) in vitro. Such effects may explain a considerable number of practical studies with livestock reportingimproved production performance after providing herbal feed additives. In summary, available evidence indicates thatherbal feed additives may have the potential to add to the set of non-antibiotic growth promoters for use in livestock, suchas organic acids and probiotics. However, a systematic approach toward the efficacy, mode of action and safety of herbalcompounds used as feed additives for animal production seems to be required in the future.