Comparison the effect of injection of dill extract and Lovastatin on serum, muscles and liver cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic Broiler chicks

One hundred and thirty male and female broiler chicks from ages 21 to 35 days were evaluated. At the initial day of this experiment (d 21), 10 birds (as control group at initial phase) were slaughtered after blood collection, and 120 birds were divided as a completely randomized design, in 5 experimental groups, contains two normal chicken groups (include control and dill extract injected groups) and three hypercholesterolemic chick groups (include control, dill extract and lovastatin injected groups) with three replicates and 8 birds per replicate. Normal chicks were subcutaneously injected only by dill extract (25 mg/kg body weight/d) at days 21-28 and hypercholesterolemic chicks were injected by dill extract plus cholesterol (50 mg/kg body weight/d). Blood samples were collected at day 28 from half of the birds and at day 35 from the others and then they were slaughtered and tissues Sample were removed and maintained at -20°C until testing. The results showed that a seven-day period injection causes increased levels of blood TC, TG and LDL compared with the control group (P<0.05). In hypercholesterolemic chicks, levels of blood LDL and Breast muscle cholesterol at the end of a seven-day period (day 28) increased and level of blood HDL decreased by dill extract injection rather than control group (P<0.01). Lovastatin injection in hypercholesterolemic chicks Compared with dill extract had no difference in most investigated parameters. In general dill extract like lovastatin, had not lowering effects on blood and tissues cholesterol in normal and hypercholesterolemic chickens.