Effect of adding the cold-water extract of Arugula leaves to drinking water on the growth performance of broilers

The current study investigated the effects of cold-water extract of Arugula (Eruca sativa) leaves on the performance of broiler chickens. A total of ۱۴۴ Ross ۳۰۸ broiler chicks was randomly allocated to the experimental treatments, regardless of sex (۹۳ male:۵۱ female), and assigned to four treatment groups from day one. Each treatment group consisted of ۳۶ chicks, divided into ۱۲ chicks per replicate. The first treatment (T۱) served as the control (without any additives), while the second treatment (T۲) included ۵۰ mg/mL of cold-water extract of Arugula leaves added to each liter of drinking water. The third treatment (T۳) involved ۱۰۰ mg/mL of the extract, and the fourth treatment contained ۱۵۰ mg/mL of the extract in the drinking water. The study demonstrated that the chicks receiving ۱۰۰ mg/mL cold-water extract of Arugula leaves (T۳) recorded higher body weight and weight gain, along with an improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) and reduced feed intake compared to the other treatments (P<۰.۰۵). Consequently, the T۳ treatment resulted in markedly enhanced performance. Antioxidant enzyme activities, including glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), significantly increased in this group, accompanied by reduced levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) (P<۰.۰۵). Additionally, the T۳ treatment led to a significant increase in hemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), and total red blood cell (RBC) counts compared to the other treatments (P<۰.۰۵). The T۳ group exhibited lower percentages of heterophils and higher percentages of lymphocytes, resulting in a more favorable heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. These findings indicated that the cold-water extract of Arugula leaves effectively mitigated the oxidative stress and enhanced both the growth performance and hematological parameters in broilers.

کلیدواژه ها:

Antioxidant ، Arugula leaves ، blood ، Broilers ، Growth Performance