FEED ADDITIVE AND ANTI-COCCIDIAL BENEFITS OF Lepidium sativum, Capsicum frutescens AND THEIR MIXTURES IN BROILER CHICKEN NUTRITION

Abstract

Frequent use of antibiotics to stimulate growth and health of animals is becoming a common animal production practice. However, this leads to the development of antibiotic-resistant populations of microorganisms. In this context, alternatives like herbs and spices to antibiotics are of importance, as they are natural products. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate the effects of Lepidium sativum (Garden cress, GC, Experiment I) and Capsicum frutescens (Hot red pepper, Hrp, Experiment II) on the performance, carcass characteristics, hematology, blood biochemical parameters and economic efficacy and (2) evaluate the anti-coccidial efficacy of GC, Hrp and their mixtures in broiler chickens experimentally infected with Eimeria tenella oocysts (Experiment III). A total of 204, 192 and 144 Cobb-500 day-old broiler chicks were used in Experiments I, II and III, respectively. Four treatment diets in Experiment I and II were inclusion of 0, 0.75, 1.50 and 2.25% of GC and Hrp, respectively. The 3rd experiment had 6 treatment groups with 3 replications. At the age of 15 days, chickens in group 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Experiment III were orally infected with ~105 sporulated E. tenella oocysts per 1 ml of inoculums whereas, chickens in group 1 was not infected. Chickens in group 3, 4, 5 and 6 consumed diet fortified with 0.75% GC, 0.75% Hrp, 0.38% GC+0.38% Hrp and 0.0125% amprolium, respectively starting from day two of age. Feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass characteristic, hematology and serum biochemical parameters were recorded for all experiments. In addition, oocyst output, cecal lesion score and intestinal length were recorded in Experiment III. In Experiment I, the daily dry matter intake (DMI) increased with increasing GC level (p<0.05); whereas in Experiment II DMI was not affected (p>0.05).The DMI in the finisher and entire period of production was higher in uninfected-unfortified ration, 0.75% GC and amprolium groups in Experiment III. Average daily gain (ADG) for the entire period was greater (p<0.01) for 0.75 and 1.5GC in Experiment I, but was not affected with the inclusion of Hrp in Experiment II. Across the entire experimental period, BWG was higher in the uninfected-unfortified group followed by 0.75% GC, 0.75% Hrp and 0.38% GC+0.38% Hrp groups and infected-unfortified group was least. Breast, thigh, drumstick and abdominal fat percentages were positively (p<0.05) affected by treatments both in Experiment I and II. Higher breast and thigh percentage were exhibited in broilers fed 0.75GC than 2.25GC in Experiment I and 1.5Hrp in Experiment II. Inclusion of GC in Experiment I increased xiv (p<0.05) hemoglobin, packed cell volume and red blood cell count than 0GC, but serum glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol concentration were decreased. Blood aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, glucose and triglyceride levels were reduced (p<0.05), whereas, total immunoglobulin concentration was increased in groups fed rations containing Hrp (Experiment II). Chickens fed a diet fortified with GC 0.75% or amprolium 0.0125% were equally effective in reducing total count of E. tenella oocyst post inoculation. Longest intestinal length at 27 days post inoculation was observed in uninfected-unfortified group and the shortest length was noticed in infected-unfortified ration group. Therefore, based on the production parameters used in the study, GC can be included as feed additive at a level of 0.75% in the total ration for better and positive results on biological performance and health status of broilers. Chickens readily consumed the rations containing all levels of Hrp, but its effects were not perceptible on growth performances of broilers. However, a lowered value of serum parameters and increased immunoglobulin concentration with the inclusion of Hrp indicates better health condition of the broilers. Broilers supplemented with 0.75% GC or 0.75% Hrp or 0.38% GC+0.38% Hrp can alternatively be used as additive to improve body weight gain in the areas where E. tenella is endemic. However, 0.75% of GC has additional advantage to reduce the oocyst shed.