The effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Allium Hirtifolium and flavophospholipol performance, meat quality, and immunological responses of broiler chickens

Effect of different levels of hydroalcoholic extract of Allium hirtifolium and flavophospholipol antibiotic on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and immune responses was studied using 200 day-old chickens, Ross 308 broilers with five treatments, four replicates and 10 chickens per each replicate with completely randomized design. The experimental treatments were included basal diet withno additives (control group), and the basal diet containing hydroalcoholic extract of Allium hirtifolium (150, 300, 450 ml/kg diet) and flavophospholipol antibiotic (500 mg/kg diet). During the experimental period, birds fed with diet containing 450 ml/kg Allium hirtifolium extract had a higher weight gain than control birds (P<0.05). The effect of treatments on carcass characteristics was not significant. Themalondialdehyde value of legs muscles in birds fed with different levels of Allium hirtifolium extract was lower than the control group (p<0.05). The meat water holding capacity and drip loss in chickens fed with diet containing 450 ml per kg of Allium hirtifolium extract were higher and lower than birds receiving antibiotic respectively (p<0.05). The antibody titer against sheep red blood cells in chickens fed withdiet containing 450 ml per kg diet of Allium hirtifolium extract was higher than control birds or birds receiving antibiotic (p<0.05). According to the results of the present experiment, using 450 ml/kg diet of Allium hirtifolium extract could improve performance, meat quality and immune responses of broiler chickens, and can be used as a good replacement for antibiotic growth promoters.