Effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Ferulago angulata and common feed additives on performance and some blood biochemical traits of broiler chickens

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Ferulago angulata (FA) as a substitute for common feed additive on performance and blood biochemical and hematological parameters of Ross 308 broilers. A total of 450 one-day-old male broiler chickens were used in a completely randomized design with six treatments and five replicates per treatment. The experimental treatments consisted of the basal diet with no additives (control); the basal diet containing Salinomycine antibiotic (500 mg/kg); Primalak® probiotic (recommended level), vitamin and mineral mixture (200 mg/kg of E and C vitamins and 0.3 mg/kg of selenium) and hydroalcoholic extract of FA at the levels of 200 and 400 mg/kg. During the entire experimental period, the birds fed diets with additives had better body weight gain and feed conversion ratio compared with the control birds (P<0.05). Feeding broiler chickens with experimental diets, except for the diet containing antibiotic, resulted in decreased concentrations of serum triglyceride and cholesterol compared with the control diet (P<0.05). The heterophil percentage and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio decreased in the birds fed diets with evaluated additives, except for treatment containing 200 mg/kg of FA extract (P<0.05). Based on the results of this study, the FA extract, especially at the level of 400 mg/kg of diet, could be used as a suitable substitute for commercial dietary feed additives to improve growth performance and blood hematological and biochemical parameters of broilers.