Effects of Commercial Herbal and Chemical Medicines on Performance, GI Microbial Population, Intestinal Morphology and Serum Lipids of Broiler Chickens Challenged with Infectious Bronchitis Vaccine Virus

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of commercial herbal and chemical medicines on growth performance, serum lipids, intestinal selected bacterial population and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. In this study, ۴۵۰ day-old female broiler chickens (Arian strain) were divided into ۱۰ treatments with three replicates of ۱۵ chicks per replicate. On day ۱۴ of the experiment, birds in following treatments: ۱) Anzofin®; ۲) Antibiofin®; ۳) Immunofin®;  ۴)Broncofin® ; ۵) Zagrol®; ۶) Mentofin®; ۷) Enrofloxacin®;۸) Bromhexin®; and ۹) positive control received IB–۴/۹۱vaccine ۵ times greater than the standard dose, but chickens in ۱۰) negative control (NC) group was vaccinated with standard dose of IB vaccine. The birds in treatments ۱ to ۶ received herbal medicines in drinking water from days ۱۵ to ۴۸. Chickens in treatments ۷ and ۸ received Enrofloxacin® and Bromhexin®, from days ۱۵ to ۱۹ in drinking water. The highest feed intake, body weight, and body weight gain were observed in Bromhexin® treatment. The lowest body weight, body weight gain and highest FCR were observed in Zagrol® treatment. Immunofin® had the lowest FCR among all treatments. The highest and lowest European Production Efficiency Factor was observed in Immunofin® and Positive control group, respectively (P>۰.۰۵). Bacterial population in GI tract was reduced in Mentofin® treatment. Bromhexin® insignificantly improved villi height of duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The highest crypt depth in duodenum, jejunum and ileum was observed in Zagrol® treatment.

Keywords:

Chemical medicine , Plant medicine , performance , broilers , Infectious bronchitis