Growth, Carcass Traits, Blood Chemistry and Gut Microbiota in Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Enriched With Garden Cress Seed Powder as a Natural Growth Enhancer

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of garden cress seed powder (GCSP) as a natural growth promoter and antioxidant agent in broiler diets, focusing on growth performance, carcass characteristics, microbial load and blood traits. A total of 210 1-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were assigned to 3 experimental groups in a completely randomized design. Each group consisted of 7 replicates with 10 unsexed chicks per replicate. The dietary treatments included: (A) a basal diet without additives (control); (GCSP 1) a basal diet supplemented with 1 g GCSP/kg diet and (GCSP 2) a basal diet supplemented with 2 g GCSP/kg diet. The results revealed no significant differences in body weight (BW), BW gain (BWG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) between the GCSP-treated groups and the control. However, numerically, the GCSP-supplemented groups exhibited improved BW, BWG and FCR compared to the control. Carcass traits remained largely unaffected, except for dressing percentage, carcass yield, thigh proportion and abdominal fat percentage, where significant differences were observed. Blood biochemical analysis showed a reduction in total protein, albumin and globulin levels in GCSP-fed groups, whereas high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels increased and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very LDL (VLDL) levels decreased, though these changes were not statistically significant. Immunological and antioxidative responses improved, as evidenced by elevated immunoglobulin Y (IgY), immunoglobulin M (IgM) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, alongside reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the GCSP-fed groups compared to the control. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with GCSP enhanced broiler immunity and antioxidative status, promoting increased IgY, IgM and SOD levels while reducing MDA levels. These findings highlight GCSP as a potential natural additive to improve broiler health and contribute to the production of healthier poultry products for consumers.