Application of hydrogen-rich mineralized water on growth performance and meat quality of broiler chickens

Hydrogen-rich mineralized water (HMW) containing a large amount of dissolved hydrogen gas has several beneficial properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and metabolic regulation. Regarding the ongoing concern for food safety, its unique biosafety makes remarkable appealing for use in the livestock industry. Under controlled experimental conditions, this study focused on determining the beneficial effects of drinking hydrogen-rich mineralized water on broiler growth efficiency, litter microbial load, and meat quality, thereby assessing its potential in broiler production. From day 1 to 35 of the study, one treatment group of broilers was administered hydrogen-rich mineral water and another group was administered normal tap water. At the end of the experiment, on day 35, five birds from each treatment group were selected for slaughter and subsequent dissection. The results indicated that the administration of hydrogen-rich mineralized water led to significant (p<0.05) differences in final body weight, and feed conversion ratio (FCR improved from 1.52 to 1.50). Microbial analysis regarding hydrogen mineralized water revealed a significant reduction of pathogenic bacteria in litter, such as E. coli and Coliforms, compared to normal tap water. Hydrogen mineralized water also shows a higher beneficial Lactobacillus spp in the litter, though not statistically significant. in the litter. No apparent shift in meat quality has been found between the two groups while using the hydrogen-rich water. While examining water quality,results revealed that normal tap water contained a significantly (p<0.05) higher microbial load than hydrogen-rich water. In summary, these findings suggest that application of HMW to enhance production efficiency and microbial safety without compromising the meat quality of broiler. Its application also supports a sustainable water-based intervention in poultry production. Future studies should emphasize caecum microbiome sequencing, molecular pathways and large-scale commercial validation. Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science 55 (2): 64 - 70, 2026