The effect of in ovo injection of crocin on hatchability, plasma lipid, antioxidant immune system and histological characteristics of jejunum of small intestine of broiler chickens

In this study, 400 fertile eggs of Ross 308 were used in the compeletly randomized design with 4 treatments and 4 replicates (25 eggs in each replicate). Treatments were non-injected (control group), injected with 0.1 ml deionized water, injected with 0.1 ml crocin %20 and injected with 0.1 ml crocin %40 (in 11 days incubation). In ovo injection of crocin %40 increased hatchability percent and body weight of hatched chicks in comparison to the other treatmenrs. There was significant difference between plasma glutathione peroxidase enzyme in broilers injected by crocin and control group, and total antioxidant capacity significantly improved at 1 day old. There was no effect of crocin on lipid metabolism, however cholesterol significantly decreased.