Effects of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) powder on growth performance, blood indices, and antioxidant status in broiler chickens with triiodothyronine-induced ascites

摘要

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementationof purslane powder (PP) on performance, blood indices, and antioxidant statusin broilers with triiodothyronine (T3)-induced ascites. In total, 240one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to fourtreatments, with four replicates per treatment and 15 birds per replicate.The experimental diets included (i) a control diet, (ii) a control diet plus1.5 mg kg of T3 (T3 diet), (iii) a T3 diet with the addition of1.5 g kg of PP, and (iv) a T3 diet with the addition of3 g kg of PP. Feed intake and body weight were measured at 10,24, 39, and 49 days of experiment. Blood and liver samples were collectedfrom two birds in each replicate at 24 and 49 days of experiment. TheT3-treated birds had higher (  0. 05) right ventricle to total ventricle(RV ∕ TV) ratio and mortality due to ascites compared with the control.In addition, during the entire experimental period (0 to 49 days ofexperiment) the T3-treated birds had lower (  0. 05) feed intake, bodyweight gain, and production efficiency index and higher (  0. 05) feedconversion ratio compared with the control. Dietary supplementation of PPreduced (  0. 05) mortality due to ascites and RV ∕ TV ratio, whilethe production efficiency index was increased (  0. 05) by the addition ofPP to the diet. The T3-treated birds had higher (  0. 05) red blood cellcounts, hematocrit percentage, and hemoglobin concentration compared with thecontrol at 24 and 49 days of experiment. Dietary supplementation of PPsubstantially alleviated (  0. 05) the negative effects of T3 onhematocrit and hemoglobin values at both 24 and 49 days of experiment and onred blood cells counts at 49 days of experiment. The T3 birds showed anincrease (  0. 05) in activities of lactate dehydrogenase, alanineaminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase at 49 days of experiment.However, the detrimental effect of T3 on alanine aminotransferase activitywas attenuated (  0. 05) by dietary supplementation of PP. The plasma andliver activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathioneperoxidase were lower (  0. 05) in T3-treated birds compared with thecontrol at 24 and 49 days of experiment, whereas malondialdehydeconcentrations were elevated (  0. 05) by dietary T3 administration.Dietary supplementation of PP, especially at 3 g kg, increased(  0. 05) the plasma and liver activities of antioxidant enzymes, andreduced (  0. 05) the plasma and liver concentrations of malondialdehydenear to the control levels. It is concluded that the supplementation of3 g kg of PP in diet improves oxidative status and reducesascites incidence in broiler chickens without impairing their growthperformance.