A STUDY ON HERBAL PROTECTION OF AFLATOXICOSIS IN BROILER CHICKENS BY DIETARY ADDITION OF LICORICE EXTRACT

A. Al, I.; A. Taha, S.; Daraji,; K. Minati, J.; J. Al, Hazim; Ani,

	A STUDY ON HERBAL PROTECTION OF AFLATOXICOSIS IN BROILER CHICKENS BY DIETARY ADDITION OF LICORICE EXTRACT
iraqi poultry sciences journal
Article 1, Volume 1, Issue 1, 2006, Pages 129-144
Authors
I. A. Al; S. A. Taha; ; J. K. Minati; Hazim J. Al;
Abstract
In the present study licorice extract (LE) was used as a counteractive agent in experimental aflatoxicosis in broilers. Seven hundred and fifty 1 – d old Fawbro broiler chicks were randomly divided into 5 experimental groups each included 3 replicates and 150 birds. The experimental design consisted of four dietary treatments: 1) control with 0 ppm aflatoxin (AF) and 0 LE (T0); 2) 2 ppm AF (T1); 3) 2 ppm AF plus 150 mg LE / kg of diet (T2); 4) 2 ppm AF plus 300 mg LE / kg of diet (T3); 5) 2 ppm AF plus 450 mg LE / kg of diet (T4). The birds were maintained on these treatments till the 7th week of age. At the end of experiment 30 broilers (15 males and 15 females) from each treatment group were selected at random and sacrificed. The various parameters studied were: relative weight of main cuts (breast, thigh and drumstick) and secondary cuts (neck, back and wing) of carcass, physical analysis of the main cuts of carcass and chemical analysis of meat, skin and fat of carcass. Results denoted that inclusion of AF in the diet of birds (T1) resulted in deleterious effects on all of carcass traits included in this study in each of males, females and both sexes. The addition of LE at levels of 150, 300 or 450 mg / kg of diet to the AF – containing diet significantly recovered the adverse effects of AF on relative weight for cuts of breast, thigh, drumstick, neck, back and wing, percentage of meat, bone, skin and fat of the main cuts (breast, thigh and drumstick) and percentage of dry matter, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate and moisture for meat, skin and fat of broiler carcass. Moreover, T4 (450 mg LE / kg of diet) surpasses all other treatments (T0, T1, T2 and T3) involved in the present study concerning all parameters of carcass above – mentioned. In conclusion, carcass cuts and physical and chemical characteristics of broilers carcass were significantly affected by AF (2 ppm) treatment; the addition of LE (150, 300 or 450 mg / kg of diet ) to the AF – contaminated diet significantly recovered the adverse effects of AF on these traits; the protective effect of 450 mg LE / kg of diet (T4) against the toxic effects of AF was greater than that of 150 mg LE / kg of diet (T2) or 300 mg LE / kg of diet (T3); and LE was non – detrimental for broilers and these improvements should contribute to a solution of AF problem in broiler chickens.

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