Y Sabah Abdulameer - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Public Health Department, AL-QasimGreen University, P.O. Box ۱۴۱۵۵-۶۴۵۳, Babylon, Iraq
H Hamzah Ajeel - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Microbiology, AL-Qasim Green University, Babylon, Iraq
Z Bakir Al-Hilli - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Microbiology, AL-Qasim Green University, Babylon, Iraq

Brassica juncea (B. juncea) is an erect, and often an unbranched plant that belongs to the family Brassicaceae. The plant’s seeds have been used in many countries as a folk remedy to treat considerable common and chronic diseases. The current study aimed to investigate the possible effects of B. juncea seed extract supplementation in the drinking water as an alternative antibiotic growth promoter on poultry production. In a completely randomized design, ۳۰۸ unsexed Ross broilers were allocated into ۴ treatments with۴ replicates, and each replicate was run on۱۰ birds. Aqueous B. juncea seeds extract (MSE) was administered to drinking water at levels of ۰, ۳, ۵, and ۷ ml/liter to T۱, T۲, T۳, and T۴, respectively, from day ۱to day ۳۵. No significant effects were reported regarding jejunum villi height and villi thickness (P≥۰.۰۵). However, the ratio of villus height to crypt depth was increased (P<۰.۰۵), and the crypt depth was reduced (P<۰.۰۵) in birds that had been fed B. juncea seeds extract, compared to control treatment (T۱) at ۳۵ day. The B. juncea seeds extract (MSE) at the level of ۷ ml (T۴) yielded the highest serum total protein, phosphorus, and calcium. The T۲, T۳, and T۴ had the lowest values of cholesterol (۱۶۰, ۱۸۰mg /L) and the highest value (P<۰.۰۵) of alkaline phosphatase. On day ۳۵, the birds receiving different levels of B. juncea seed extract had lower total aerobic bacteria counts in the ileum, compared to birds fed with control treatment. The administration of B. juncea seeds extract at ۳, ۵, and ۷ ml levels can be added to drinking water to improve gut morphology, blood biochemical traits, and intestinal bacterial load.

Brassica juncea Seed, broilers, Intestinal health