Evaluation the effects of herbal growth promoter Orex® on performance and immune responses of broiler chickens using multiple attribute decision making method

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of herbal growth promoter Orex® on performance and immune responses of broiler chickens. The Orex® solution was a combination of alcoholic extract of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) colt’s-foot (Tussilago farfara), cherry blossom (Prunus yedoensis) and brown algae (Sargassum sp.). A total of six hundred day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were used in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments, 5 replicates and 30 birds in each replicate. The experimental treatments included 1) group received drinking water without additive (control), 2) group received drinking water containing Orex® (1:30, v/v), 3) group received drinking water containing Orex® (1:60, v/v), and 4) group received drinking water containing commercial herbal solution (Bioherbal®, 1:1000, v/v). The performance traits were recorded weekly. The cellular and humoral immune responses were evaluated by injection of phytohaemagglutinin-phosphate (PHAP) and sheep red blood cell (SRBC) on 15 and 35 days of age, respectively. The multiple attribute decision making method was used to select the best treatment and make decision about using herbal growth promoter Orex®. Based on scoring through this method, treatments 1 to 4 obtained scores 0.1305, 0.7418, 0.8278 and 0.6421, respectively. According to the obtained results, the utilization of herbal growth promoter Orex® is recommended as an approach for improvement of productive and immunity traits of broiler chickens.