The Effect of Echinacea purpurea Extract on Performance, and Interleukin-2 Gene Expression in Broilers
Subject Areas :G. Akbari 1 , A. Zarei 2 , N. Eila 3
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Keywords: Echinacea purpurea, extract, IL-2, immune system, performance,
Abstract :
The effects of various concentrations of Echinacea purpurea extract were evaluated on performance, anti-oxidant activity, intestinal morphology, immune system, and interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene expression in broiler chickens. To conduct the experiment, 240 one-day-old male chickens of Ross 308 strain were used in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments, and 5 replicates with 12 chickens in each replicate. The experimental treatments included a control diet void of Echinacea purpurea, and diets supplemented with either 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, or 30 mg/kg Echinacea purpurea extract. Addition of Echinacea purpurea ex-tract at 20 and 30 mg/kg in the diet significantly increased the live weight and weight gain of the entire pe-riod and decreased the conversion ratio of the entire period (P<0.01). Antioxidant activity was significantly improved only in the treatment group supplemented with 30 mg/kg compared with the control (P<0.05). The villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the treatments with 20 and 30 mg/kg extract in feeds were significantly increased compared with the control (P<0.01). Consumption of 20 and 30 mg/kg Echinacea purpurea extract enhanced total antibody production against SRBC and Newcastle vaccine (NDV) in the entire period (P<0.01). Chickens fed diets supplemented t with 30 mg/kg extract had a en-hanced relative IL-2 gene expression compared with other treatments (P<0.05). In general, the results of this experiment showed that the consumption of 30 mg/kg extract in the feed of broiler chickens had a posi-tive effect on growth performance, antioxidant activity, and immune system compared with other negative control diet.
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