Evaluation of growth performance, intestinal morphology, and meat quality of broilers fed soybean oil-based- diet and pomegranate peel extract

This study was done to investigate the effect of pomegranate peel extract on growth performance, blood biochemical indices, intestinal morphology and meat quality of broiler fed diet-contained soybean oil. 120 male broilers were used in the form of a completely randomized design with 3 treatments, 4 repetitions and 10 chicks. Experimental diets were three levels of zero, 300 and 600 mg/kg of pomegranate peel extract (PPE). Pomegranate peel extract had no effect on performance traits including feed intake, body weight and feed conversion ratio at starter and finisher phases, but in the grower period, the levels of 300 and 600 PPE reduced feed intake (from 928 to 777 g) and feed conversion ratio (from 1.77 to 1.31; P <0.05) compare to control. The breast percentage increased from 19.78 in control to 21.95 at the level of 600 PPE and the percentage of abdominal fat decreased from 1.93 in control to 1.27 at the level of 600 PPE (P <0.05). The PPE at levels of 600 reduced concentration of cholesterol (183.68 to 137.15 mg/dl) and LDL (95.63 to 32.93 mg/dl) and the enzyme activity of aspartate dehydrogenase (263.8 to 204.28) compare to control. The villus height (from 1026.88 to 1155.12) and the villus height to crypt depth ratio (5.04 to 5.6) were higher at the 600 PPE compared to the control. The concentration of Malondialdehyde in meat decreased at 15 and 30 days after slaughter with an increase in PPE compared to control.