EFFECT OF MEDICINAL PLANTS AND VITAMIN E ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE, SOME PHYSIOLOGICAL, IMMUNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AND ANTIOXIDANT STATUS OF BROILER UNDER COLD STRESS

Abstract

This study was conducted to clarify the effect of adding different levels of medicinal plants and vitamin E supplements on productive performance, serum physiological, immunological parameters, and antioxidant status of broiler under cold stress 15 ⸰C±2 for 35 days. A total of 600 Ross one-day-old broiler chicks were distributed randomly into eight treatments with five replicates for each (15 birds/replicate) as follows: T1= standard ration (negative control); T2= 50 mg vitamin E /kg ration (positive control); T3= 5g Dill powder /kg ration; T4= 10g Dill powder/kg ration; T5= 5g Adiantum powder /kg ration; T6= 10g Adiantum powder /kg ration; T7=5g Crataegus powder /kg ration and T8=10g Crataegus powder /kg ration. Results showed that adding medicinal plants had a significant effect (p<0.05) on live body weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, mortality percentage, and production index, as well as a significant effect on serum protein, lipid profile, T3, T4, corticosterone hormone, significantly lower malondialdehyde (MDA) stimulator oxidative enzymes and higher the concentration of antioxidant enzymes total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in all additive treatments compared with control groups, all helped to reduce oxidative stress as well as boost antibody titers of ND and IBD when compared with negative and positive control.

Keywords

• adiantum
• antioxidants
• broiler performance
• crataegus
• cold climate
• dill