Bioefficacy comparison of herbal methionine versus synthetic methionine on growth performance basis in broiler chickens

This experiment was carried out to determine the bioefficacy of herbal methionine (H-Met)® versus to DLmethionine (DL-Met) on growth performance basisin broiler chickens. A total of 160 day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were used in a completely randomized design and were randomly assigned to treatments, 4 replicates and 5 chicks in every experimental unit (cage).Treatments included basal diet supplemented increasingly with Herbal methionine and DL-methionine during three growth periods of chickens. Multiexponential regression was used to determined bioavailability of H-Met® relative to DL-Met on growth performance basis in broilers. Body weight gain and feed intake of the broilers fed H-Met or DL Met improved in the experiment, regardless of Met sources, relative to those broilers fed basal diet. The bioavailability of HMet ® relative to DL-Met with considering body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio in starter period were 45, 77 and 82% respectively, in grower period were 55, 69 and 75% respectively and in finisher period were 57, 71 and 75% respectively. Totally, the average bioavailability of H-Met® versus to DL-Met is 65% for broiler chickens.