Small intestinal histology, production parameters, and meat quality as influenced by dietary supplementation of garlic<i>(Allium sativum)</i>in broiler chicks

Abstract

Four hundred day-old male hatchling chicks were obtained from the female line of Lohmman grandparent stock farms and fed rations supplemented with different levels (0, 0.25, 0.50, 1.0%) of dried garlic powder. Each treatment consists of 5 pens. Feed and water were provided as <em>ad libitum </em>throughout the experimental period. Production parameters measured were body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio. Final body weight and feed conversion ratio were not affected (P>0.05) by garlic supplementation. However, feed consumption was the lowest (P<0.05) at 0.5% and 1%. Small intestinal histological measurements were influenced (P<0.05) by garlic powder supplementation. In duodenum, villus length was the highest (P<0.05) in birds fed with diets containing 1% garlic powder, and villus and epithelial width were the highest (P<0.05) in chicks fed with diets containing 0.5 percentage of dried powder. In jejunum, the villus length was the highest (P<0.05) in birds fed with diets containing 0.25% and 1% garlic powder, while villus and epithelial width were the lowest (P<0.05) in chicks fed with diets containing 0.5% of dried powder. Carcass traits were not affected (P>0.05) by garlic supplementation. All meat quality parameters measured were not affected (P>0.05) by garlic powder supplementation (cooking loss percentage, shear force, lightness, redness and yellowness), except for juiciness percentage and pH, which were the lowest (P<0.05) at 1.0% and 0.25%, respectively. As a conclusion, this study shows that garlic at a 0.5% level might be of beneficial effect on intestinal morphymetry parameters, as well as on production parameters.