Effect of curcumin on laying performance, egg quality, endocrine hormones, and immune activity in heat-stressed hens

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of curcumin on laying performance, egg quality, biochemical indicators, hormone levels, and immune activity in hens under heat stress. Hy-Line brown hens (280-day-old) were fed with 0, 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg of curcumin during a 42-D experiment. Compared with the control treatment, supplementation with 150 mg/kg of curcumin improved laying performance and egg quality by significantly increasing egg production, eggshell thickness, eggshell strength (P < 0.01), and albumen height (P < 0.05) while decreasing the feed-to-egg ratio. Antioxidant activity was improved by significantly increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase but decreasing malondialdehyde levels in serum (P < 0.05) and significantly increasing the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, IgG, IgA, and complement C₃ activity in serum (P < 0.05). These results indicated that supplemental 150 mg/kg curcumin can improve productive performance, antioxidant enzyme activity, and immune function in laying hens under the heat stress conditions applied in the present study.