| Abstrakt: |
The present study investigated the influence of dietary threonine (Thr) levels and ajwain seed (AS) on the growth performance, immunity, blood metabolites, ileal microflora and jejunum morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 600‐day‐old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were randomly allocated among five replicates of eight dietary treatments according to a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, including four different levels of Thr (100, 105, 110 and 115% of requirements) and two inclusion rates of AS (0 or 10 g/kg of the diet). Body weight gain and FCR improved in broiler chickens fed 105% Thr supplement during the starter, finisher and whole periods of the experiment (p <.05). The broiler chickens fed AS supplemented diet had a greater weight gain (25–42 days) and better FCR (1–10 and 25–42 days) than those without AS (p <.05). A significant interaction was observed between Thr and AS supplementation for lymphocyte, heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L), bursa and spleen (p <.05). The liver enzyme activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was higher in the chicks that received diet without AS supplement than those fed AS diet (p <.05). Inclusion of 105% dietary Thr and 10 g/kg AS increased the viable cell counts of Lactobacilli and decreased the population of the Escherichia coli in broilers (p <.05). In jejunum morphology, the broiler chickens fed 105% Thr diet had a greater villus length, width and crypt depth (p <.05). Also, the villus length was longer in broilers that received AS supplemented diet (p <.05). It is concluded that the dietary 105% of Thr and AS supplement individually improved growth performance, ileal microbial population and jejunum morphology of broiler chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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