The effect of Aloe vera gel on performance, intestinal microbial population, blood metabolites, antibody titers against sheep red blood cells and white blood cell counts in broiler chickens.

This experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments, 4 replicates and 10 Ross 308 broiler chicks per replicate. The treatments consisted of: 1) control (basal diet) 2) basal diet + supplemented with 600 mg/kg antibiotic flavophospholipol 3, 4 and 5) chicks fed basal diet but 5, 10, and 15 gram/ liter Aloe vera gel added to their drinking water, respectively. In the whole of the experimental period, the treatments did not have any significant effect on body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and European efficiency factor in broilers (P>0.05). Intestinal microbial population (Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus) was not affected by the experimental treatments (P>0.05). Blood metabolites included cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, albumen and alkaline phosphatase were not affected by the experimental treatments (P>0.05), except serum glucose level which significantly reduced in birds received 15 gr /liter Aloe vera jel compared to the control (p < 0.05). Effect of the experimental treatments on the antibody titers against sheep red blood cells at 28 and 42 days of age were not significant (P>0.05). Also, in the case of white blood cells, the heterophile and heterophile to lymphocyte ratio were increased in the bird received different levels of Aloe vera (p < 0.01). In general, the use of the Aloe vera gel could improve immune response.