Effects of phytosome containing green tea extract on growth and carcass performance, immune response and antioxidant status, blood parameters and ileum microbial populations in broiler chickens

This study aimed to investigate the nutritional effects of phytosomal green tea on growth performance, lipid parameters, immune responses, antioxidant status, ileum bacterial population, and gamma interferon gene expression in compared to green tea extract. 375 male broiler chickens (ROSS 308)were randomly assigned to 5 treatments, with 5 replications and 15 chickens per cage. Treatments included 1- basal diet (negative control), 2- basal diet + 0.10 g/kg avilamycin, 3- basal diet + 0.60 g/kg salinomycin, 4- basal diet + 400 ml/kg green tea extract and 5-basal diet + 300 ml/kg green tea phytosome. Experimental treatments did not affect growth and carcass performance (P>0.05). Malondialdehyde, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma affected by phytosomal extract decreased compared to control (P<0.05). Antibody levels against red blood cells, immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M increased in chickens fed phytosome supplement in comparison to the form of green tea extract at 28 days (P<0.05). The use of green tea extract reduced the population of Escherichia coli in comparison to avilamycin and increased the population of lactobacilli cmpared to salinomycin (P<0.05). The expression of interferon gamma gene in the spleen of chickens that received the phytosomal green tea extract was higher compared to the consumption of green tea extract (P<0.05). Conclusion is that, green tea extract -phospholipid complexes showed the same efficiency compared to green tea extract on the evaluated parameters and can be considered as an alternative in order to reduce the consumption of plant extracts in poultry nutrition.