Dietary inclusion of Artemisia absinthium for management of growth performance, antioxidative status and quality of chicken meat

This report describes an investigation on the effects of Artemisia absinthium on antioxidative status in hemolysed blood and liver homogenate of broiler chickens (glutathione peroxidase-GSHPx, superoxide dismutase-SOD and concentration of malondialdehyde-MDA) and effect of this medicinal herb on growth performance and quality of poultry meat. Three levels of dried A. absinthium: 0, 100, 150 and 200 g/kg were incorporated into basal diet of 240 broilers for 42 days. Blood and liver were collected for the subsequent evaluation of antioxidant status. Feeding of diet supplemented with 200 g/kg A. absinthium significantly decreased the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma in comparison with the control group. The activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) were significantly higher in blood of chickens fed with the diet containing 200 g/kg of A. absinthium. Other diets containing 100 and 150 g/kg of A. absinthium had no effect on lipid peroxidation and activity of antioxidative protection enzyme in the liver homogenate and blood hemolysate of broilers. Positive effects of A. absinthium supplementation on growth performance were noted after four weeks of trial, and at the end of the trial chickens of experimental groups had significantly higher (P < 0.05) body weight. During the trial experimental groups had better feed conversion efficiency. Experimental groups had higher breast meat yield (P < 0.05), but significant effect of A. absinthium addition on nutritive quality of chickens white meat were not noted, although the protein content was a bit higher and fat content was lower in experimental groups. The results obtained in this study indicate that dietary inclusion of A. absinthium supported a superior performance and antioxidative status of broilers and can be applied as a natural feed additive for broilers.