Production performance and blood biochemical changes in broiler chickens fed amla during induced-stress conditions

An experiment was conducted in broiler chickens to evaluate the efficacy of Emblica officinalis (amla) fruits rich in vitamin C in alleviating stress induced by ACTH injection @ 3 IU / kg body weight for 5 d from 22 d of age. The birds were fed standard broiler diet Supplemented with 5, 10 or 20 a amla dry powder or 250 mg synthetic vitamin C / kg diet. Body weight and feed efficiency were measured weekly. The plasma glucose, serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein and triglycerides were measured at 21, 28 and 42 d of age. The results suggested that while the mean body weight was not influenced by amla supplementation, the feed efficiency was significantly improved by 10 g / kg amla feeding, compared to other groups. Serum triglycerides level decreased in amla-fed groups compared to control at third and fourth weeks of age. Other blood biochemical parameters like plasma glucose, serum total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein did not vary between treatments. It can be concluded that the broiler diet can be supplemented with amla at 10 g / kg as an anti-stress agent during stress periods of broiler production.