Ajwain (Trachyspermum copticum) extract in broiler diets: effect on growth performance, carcass components, plasma constituents, immunity and cecum microflora

Figures & data

Table 1. Ingredients, chemical composition and metabolisable energy of the starter, grower, and finisher diets^a.

Treatment	Starter (from 1 to 14 d)	Grower (from 15 to 28 d)	Finisher (from 29 to 42 d)
Ingredients (%, on fed basis)
Corn	54.5	58.5	62.7
Soybeanmeal	37.5	33.2	29.5
Soybeanoil	4.0	4.0	4.0
Calcium carbonate	1.2	1.2	1.1
Dicalciumphosphate	1.6	1.5	1.5
NaCl	0.23	0.26	0.25
Vitamin and mineral premix^a	0.6	0.6	0.6
Sodiumbicarbonate	0.12	0.14	0.1
DL-Methionine	0.18	0.21	0.15
L-Lysine	0.07	0.09	0.1
Chemical composition
Metabolisable energy^b (kcal/kg)	3010	3050	3100
Crude protein (%)	21.04	19.60	18.18
Lysine (%)	1.27	1.10	0.97
Methionine + Cystine (%)	0.94	0.84	0.76
Methionine (%)	0.47	0.42	0.36
Arginine (%)	1.31	1.14	1.02
Tryptofan (%)	0.20	0.18	0.16
Calcium (%)	1.05	0.90	0.85
Availablephosphorus (%)	0.50	0.45	0.42
Maganesium (%)	0.05	0.06	0.05
Sodium (%)	0.21	0.19	18.18
Chloride (%)	0.17	0.17	0.16
Potassium (%)	0.50	0.40	0.40
Copper (mg/kg)	16.0	16.0	18.0
Iodine (mg/kg)	1.25	1.25	1.25
Fe (mg/kg)	40.0	40.0	40.0
Manganese (mg/kg)	120.0	120.0	120.0
Selenium (mg/kg)	0.30	0.30	0.30
Zinc (mg/kg)	100.0	100.0	100.0
Vitamin A (IU/kg)	11000	9000	9000
Vitamin E (IU/kg)	75	50	50
VitaminK (mg/kg)	3	3	2
VitaminB12 (mg/kg)	0.016	0.016	0.010
Riboflavin (mg)	8	6	5

^aAmount per kg: vitamin A, 5,000 IU; vitamin D₃, 500 IU; vitamin E, 3 mg; vitamin K₃, 1.5 mg; vitamin B₂, 1 mg; calciumpantothenate, 4 mg; niacin, 15 mg; vitamin B₆, 13 mg; Cu,3 mg; Zn, 15 mg; Mn, 20 mg; Fe, 10 mg; K, 0.3 mg.

^bMetabolic availability (from UFFDA output; Pesti& Miller, 1993). Metabolizable energy was estimated using the Carpenter and Clegg equation.

Table 2. Performance of Ross 308 broilers fed the different levels of Trachyspermum copticum extract during the whole period.

	Initial Body Weight (g)	Final Body Weight (g)	Feed intake (g/chick/period)	Feed conversion ratio	Economic index
Virginiamycin (0.2 g/kg)	53	2645^a	3658^b	1.54^ab	370^b
Ajwain (0 ppm)	54	2415^ab	3756^bc	1.52^ab	389^ab
Ajwain (150 ppm)	53	2460^ab	4037^a	1.61^a	373^ab
Ajwain (300 ppm)	53	2763^a	3959^ab	1.54^ab	399^ab
Ajwain (450 ppm)	54	2258^b	3682^b	1.47^b	407^a
P-value		0.049	0.011	0.045	0.043
SEM	0.58	60.37	46.61	0.02	5.56

^a,b,cMean values with different superscript letters in a column indicate significant differences at p < .05.

Table 3. Mean (±SEM) of carcase and organs weights (g) of Ross broilers at 42nd days fed different levels Trachyspermum copticum extract from 1st to 6th weeks of age.

	Carcase	Breast	Drumsticks	Wings	Abdominal fat	Heart	Liver	Gizzard
Virginiamycin (0.2 g/kg)	2150^a	710^ab	548^a	56.50	40.25^bc	12.25^ab	63.75^a	44.00^ab
Ajwain (0 ppm)	1988^ab	656^bc	508^ab	53.25	41.50^bc	10.25^b	56.25^ab	41.25^b
Ajwain (150 ppm)	2050^ab	663^bc	565^a	56.00	46.50^ab	10.50^b	44.00^c	54.75^a
Ajwain (300 ppm)	2240^a	780^a	606^a	56.00	66.50^a	13.75^a	61.00^a	42.25^b
Ajwain (450 ppm)	1858^b	586^c	450^b	54.75	34.25^c	12.50^ab	48.75^bc	50.25^ab
p-value	.047	.003	.027	.908	.0001	.042	.009	.049
SEM	46.33	18.42	17.21	1.09	2.88	0.47	2.24	1.83

^a,b,cMeans within each column without common superscript have significant difference at p < .05.

Table 4. Mean (±SEM) of blood parameters (mg/dL) at 42nd days of age in Ross 308 broilers fed different levels of Trachyspermum copticum extract from 1st to 6th weeks of age.

	Glucose	Total cholesterol	Triglycerides	HDL	LDL	VLDL	Albumin	Total protein	Uric acid	LDL/HDL
Virginiamycin (0.2 g/kg)	211.50	150.00	81.00^b	61.25^a	75.00^a	16.25	1.69	4.86^b	5.20^b	0.83^b
Ajwain (0 ppm)	223.00	143.00	92.00^ab	61.00^a	62.10^b	18.02	1.55	3.48^c	5.69^a	0.99^ab
Ajwain (150 ppm)	222.25	145.50	113.00^a	60.75^ab	61.80^b	22.20	1.74	5.42^a	4.53^c	0.99^ab
Ajwain (300 ppm)	271.25	135.75	103.25^ab	57.75^ab	53.35^b	19.65	1.69	3.53^c	5.82^a	1.08^a
Ajwain (450 ppm)	223.00	136.25	100.25^ab	56.25^b	58.55^b	20.45	1.58	4.77^b	5.41^ab	0.98^ab
p-value	.396	.289	.023	.041	.006	.399	.400	.0001	.0001	.046
SEM	10.14	2.42	4.56	0.74	2.13	0.99	0.03	0.18	0.12	0.03

^a,b,cMeans within each column without common superscript have significant difference at p < .05. HDL: High-Density Lipoproteins. LDL: Low-Density Lipoproteins. VLDL: Very Low-Density Lipoproteins.

Table 5. Mean (±SEM) of immunity parameters (log₁₀) against sheep red blood cells at different days of age, organ weights (g) related to immunity and caecum microflora parameters in Ross broilers at 42nd days fed different levels of Trachyspermum copticum extract from 1st to 6th weeks of age.

	28th day of age			42nd day of age			42nd day of age
	IgG	IgM	IgT	IgG	IgM	IgT	Bursa of Fabricius	Spleen	Coliform bacteria (CFUg-1)	Lactobacillus spp (CFUg–1)
Virginiamycin (0.2 g/kg)	4.50^a	2.50^b	7.00^ab	4.00	5.50	9.50^a	4.00^a	4.50	2.42^a	1.03^b
Ajwain (0 ppm)	4.75^a	1.75^c	6.50^bc	4.50	4.75	9.25^a	3.25^b	3.00	2.00^a	2.27^a
Ajwain (150 ppm)	2.50^c	3.00^b	5.50^c	5.25	4.25	9.50^a	4.00^a	3.50	1.88^a	1.75^ab
Ajwain (300 ppm)	3.50^b	2.50^b	6.00^bc	3.75	4.50	8.25^b	4.00^a	3.25	0.87^b	1.31^b
Ajwain (450 ppm)	4.00^ab	4.00^a	8.00^a	4.00	5.00	9.00^ab	3.25^b	3.25	2.50^a	2.24^a
p-value	.0001	<.0001	.006	.503	.757	.056	.003	.244	.001	.007
SEM	0.21	0.19	0.26	0.28	0.30	0.16	0.10	0.22	0.72	0.15

^a,b,cMeans within each column without common superscript have significant difference at p < .05.