Effect of injection of Garlic (Allium sativum) extract and Lovastatin on serum cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic broiler chicks

In this study 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 blood collection, and 120 birds were divided as a completely randomized design, in 5 experimental groups, contains two normal chicken groups (include control and Allium sativum extract injected groups) and three hypercholesterolemic chick groups (include control, Allium sativum extract and lovastatin injected groups) with three replicates and 8 birds per replicate. Normal chicks were subcutaneously injected only by Allium sativum extract (25 mg/kg body weight/d) at days 21-28 and hypercholesterolemic chicks were injected by Allium sativum 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.. The results showed that a seven-day period injection causes increased levels of blood TC, TG and LDL compared with the control group. In hypercholesterolemic chicks, levels of blood LDL at the end of a seven-day period (day 28) increased and level of blood HDL decreased by Allium sativum extract injection rather than control group (P