Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the fermentation of A. membranaceus by L. plantarum and its effects on broiler chickens. L. plantarum solid-state fermentation was employed to solve the problem of releasing the active components of A. membranaceus. The effect of L. plantarum on astragalus was examined by measuring the contents of protein, carbohydrate, calycoflavone, and formononetin in A. membranaceus before and after fermentation. The effect of A. membranaceus on L. plantarum was demonstrated by detecting the changes in galactosidase in L. plantarum before and after fermentation. Fermented A. membranaceus was fed to broiler chickens, and the indices of growth performance, antioxidants, immune function, and intestinal short-chain fatty acids were recorded. The results showed that the cellulose and pectin on the surface of A. membranaceus were decomposed by L. plantarum solid-state fermentation, and the macromolecular proteins were degraded into small molecules. A. membranaceus increased the content of galactosidase in L. plantarum. Solid-state fermentation increased the contents of functional sugars, calycosin, and formononetin in A. membranaceus. Fermentation of A. membranaceus significantly improved the production performance of broilers as well as the antioxidant index, immune index, intestinal morphology, and intestinal short-chain fatty acid content.