Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Veterinarija ir Zootechnika, cilt.82(1), ss.94, 2024 (Scopus)
The poultry sector in Lithuania is one of the leading branches of livestock farming. The expansion of poultry farming has spurred the quest for enhanced zootechnical parameters. This necessity has led to the exploration of supplements in poultry nutrition aimed at managing pathogens, predominantly Eimeria spp., Salmonella spp., Clostridium spp., and Escherichia coli, while also serving as growth enhancers [1]. This study aimed to investigate the impact of alternative plant-based coccidiostats on the performance, health, and physiological functions of broiler chickens, considering the poultry industry's growing interest in natural substitutes for conventional additives. A total of 600 Ross 308-line 1-day-old broiler chickens were divided into two groups (n = 300 broilers/group). The control group received a standard compound feed supplemented with typical coccidiostats, while the experimental group received the standard compound feed added with 500 g/t of alternative plant-based coccidiostats. At the end of the trial (35 days old), 10 chickens from each group were randomly selected and euthanised, and then blood serum, the development of intestines and internal organs, the pH of different intestinal contents, and histomorphometric measurements of the ileum were analysed. The results showed that plant-based coccidiostats had a negative impact on the body weight of broiler chickens but had a positive impact on the feed conversion ratio (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the experimental group had varying effects on the health of broiler chickens: on day 10, it decreased iron content and increased GGT levels; by day 35, it decreased AST levels and increased iron content (P < 0.05). The use of plant-based coccidiostats increased the weight of the intestines with contents and the heart and liver mass but decreased the morphometric measurements of the ileum (villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth) compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Although the specific mechanism of action for the alternative plant-based coccidiostats was not revealed in our study, their inclusion in poultry feed can positively impact certain health indicators and physiological functions in broiler chickens.