Effect of Echinacea purpurea root and antibiotic on performance, organs weight, blood biochemical parameters and meat quality of broiler chickens

The purpose of this study, was to evaluate the use of Echinacea purpurea (EP) root as a feed additive in broiler chicken diets. 340 7-d-old male broilers (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into 5 experimental treatments (with 4 replicates) including control diet without additive, experimental diet supplemented by flavophospholipol (FL) (650 ppm) and three experimental diets were supplemented by 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0% EP root. Body weights of broilers were measured at 7, 21 and 42 days and feed intake was measured weekly. At 42 days of age blood samples were taken from eight chickens per treatments and then, chickens were slaughtered for determination of carcass component and meat quality. The result of this experiment indicated that body weight and body weight gain of EP 1% and FL treatments were higher significantly than other treatments at 42 days old (p<0.05). However, feed intake and FCR were not significantly different among dietary treatments. Organs weight and carcass yield of experimental treatments were not significantly different in comparison to control (p>0.05), but intestine weight of FL treatment was lower significantly than others. Levels of phosphorus and uric acid of EP treatments were lower significantly than control; where glucose of FL treatment was higher than other treatments. Aspartate aminotransferas and Alanine aminotransferas enzymes of EP dietary treatments were lower activity than control and FL treatments (p<0.05). Evaluation of meat quality indicated that breast meat lightness, redness and yellowness values were not significantly different (p>0.05). Moisture of meat was not significantly differed among treatments, but Breast and thigh crude protein of EP treatments were lower than control. After 30-day storage, pH of thigh was higher in control (p<0.05). In overall, the results of current experiment suggested that dietary inclusion of 1% Echinacea purpurea root can be applied as alternatives in-feed antibiotics for broiler diets.