title: Single and combined effects of vitamin C and oregano essential oil in diet, on growth performance, and blood parameters of broiler chicks reared under heat stress condition.
abstract: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding vitamin C (VC), oregano essential oil (OR), or their combination in diet, on growth performance, and blood parameters of broiler chicks reared under heat stress (HS) condition (38 °C). One-day-old 240 male broilers were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, six replicates of ten birds each. The birds were fed with either a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with either 200 mg L-ascorbic acid/kg of diet, 250 mg of oregano essential oil/kg of diet, or 200 mg L-ascorbic acid plus 250 mg of oregano essential oil/kg of diet. Average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were obtained for 42 days of age and at the end of the experiment (day 42); birds were bled to determine some blood parameters and weighted for final body weight (BW). Feeding birds with diets supplemented with oregano essential oil and vitamin C in a single or combined form increased ADG (P > 0.05). Also BW increased and feed efficiency decreased (P < 0.05) in the birds fed with diets including VC and OR (in a single or combined form), compared to those fed the basal diet. ADFI was not significantly influenced by dietary oregano essential oil and vitamin C (P > 0.05). Supplemental oregano essential oil and vitamin C in a combined form decreased the serum concentration of corticosterone, triglycerides, glucose, and MDA (P < 0.05) compared with other groups. An increase in the serum concentrations of vitamin C were seen in broiler chicks supplemented with vitamin C. From the results of the present experiment, it can be concluded that diet supplementation by combined oregano essential oil and vitamin C could have beneficial effects on some blood parameters of broiler chicks reared under heat stress condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Razi University, Imam Avenue, Kermanshah, 6715685418, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahab
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghazi
authors.forename: Tahere
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amjadian
authors.forename: Shokufeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Norouzi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004435:Eating; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031341:Origanum; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D014280:Triglycerides; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D003345:Corticosterone