title: Effects of Curcuma longa rhizome powder on egg quality, performance and some physiological indices of laying hens fed different levels of metabolizable energy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-energy diets of laying hens may improve roductive performance, although some negative effects may also appear with respect to egg quality and physiological parameters. Curcuma longa rhizome powder (CRP) has beneficial effects on health indices of the birds through antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, especially when the birds experience nutritional stress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increasing dietary CRP enhanced egg quality by improving eggshell thickness and hardness but decreasing yolk cholesterol content (P < 0.05). The best feed conversion ratio was obtained in birds fed high-apparent metabolizable energy (AME) diets supplemented with 2.0 g kg-1CRP (P < 0.05). Although increasing dietary AME elevated the serum concentration of triglycerides (P < 0.05) and enzymatic activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase (P < 0.05), dietary inclusion of CRP alleviates the blood levels of these enzymes (P < 0.01). Low level of dietary CRP boosted the immune responses to Newcastle virus (P < 0.01) and sheep red blood cells (P < 0.05) antigens but decreased the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (P < 0.05). Inclusion of at least 2.0 g kg-1CRP in the diet of laying decreased Escherichia coli enumerations in the ileal content (P < 0.01) and improved villus height, crypt depth and goblet cell numbers (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An improvement in the productive performance of laying hens fed high-energy diets might be associated with decreasing health indices and product quality, which could potentially be amended by nutritional modifications such as incorporating medicinal herbs in the feed. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahsa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirbod
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Hossein
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mahdavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran.
authors.forename: Abdol-Hossein
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Samie
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, 98661-5538, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehri
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D030024:Curcuma; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004531:Eggs; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009522:Newcastle disease virus; D010058:Oviposition; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011208:Powders; D012756:Sheep; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D028321:Plant Preparations; D011208:Powders; D014280:Triglycerides; D000637:Transaminases
keywords: Curcuma longa rhizome powder; egg quality; laying hens; metabolizable energy; physiological indices