Effect of Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) leaf powder and vitamin E on performance and some blood parameters of meat type Japanese quail

In order to investigate the effects of Artichoke leaf powder and vitamin Eon performance, internal organs relative weight and some blood parameters, 240 day-old quails were assigned to four treatments including, basal diet (control), basal diet supplemented with levels of 1.5 and 3 percent of Artichoke leaf powder and basal diet supplemented with 300 mg/Kg diet vitamin E with four replicates and 15 birds in each in a completely randomized design. Birds receiving diet supplemented with vitamin E showed greater body weight gain than other treatments (P<0.05). No significant different was observed in body weight gain between birds receiving diets supplemented with Artichoke leaf powder and those birds received control diet, throughout the experiment. Birds treated with diet containing three percent Artichoke leaf powder had higher feed conversion rate (P<0.05). The concentrations of albumin and HDL were greater in blood serum of birds fed diet containing 1.5 percent Artichoke leaf powder compare to other treatments (P<0.05). According to the results of this study, using Artichoke leaf powder till three percent has no negative effect on feed intake and weight gain throughout the study (1-42 d). Inclusion of 300 mg/kg vitamin E in the diet of Japanese quail improves growth performance during the first three weeks of study.