Addition of Capsicum Oleoresin, Carvacrol, Cinnamaldehyde and Their Mixtures to the Broiler Mixed Feed I. Effects On Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Intestinal Microflora, Some Blood Parameters and IGF-1 Gene Expression Levels

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary capsicum oleoresin (CAP, 150 mg/kg), carvacrol (CAR, 150 mg/kg), cinnamaldehyde (CIN, 150 mg/kg) and equal amount of mixtures (CAP+CAR+CIN, 50 mg/kg each, capsicum oleoresin + carvacrol + cinnamaldehyde) supplements on growth performance, carcass characteristics, intestinal microflora, some blood parameters and IGF1 gene expression levels in broiler chickens. In the experiment, four hundred Ross-308 day-old, both sexs broiler chicks were randomly distributed to five dietary treatments, each with five replicates. Among these five dietary treatment groups formed for the experiment, the control group was fed without feed additives (control), the second group with 150 mg capsicum oleoresin for each kg of feed, the third group with 150 mg carvacrol for each kg of feed, the fourth group with 150 mg cinnamaldehyde for each kg of feed, and the last group with 150 mg mixtures for each kg of feed. The experiment was maintained to six weeks. According to the research results, the effects of dietary treatments on the body weight and the body weight gain were found to be significant (p<0.05). Especially in the group fed on diet added CAP+CAR+CIN, the treatments had a significant effect on feed intake and feed conversion ratio as well as body weight and body weight gain when compared to the control group on a periodic basis (p<0.05). In addition, the effect of the treatments on livability is insignificant (p>0.05). Among carcass properties, only carcass yield and some organ-related properties were significantly affected from addition of capsicum oleoresin, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and their mixtures (p<0.05). Cinnamaldehyde and mixture groups caused to significantly (p<0.05) reduce AST levels, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and capsicum oleoresin groups led to decrease level of triglycerides, carvacrol and mixture groups importantly (p<0.05) affected LDL levels were detected. And also, especially in the mixture groups, the number of ileum Lactobacillus spp. was found to be significantly higher (p<0.05) than the other groups. The changes in dietary content were not accompanied by changes in IGF-1 gene expression levels (p>0.05). In conclusion, the supplementation carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, capsicum oleoresin and especially their mixtures at the level of 150 mg/kg to broiler diets affected positively growth performance, slaughter characteristics, some examined intestinal microflora and blood parameters in broiler chickens.

Keywords: Broiler, capsicum oleoresin, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/5-12-01