The Effects of Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Essential Oil on Growth Performance, Blood Parameters, Antioxidant Capacity, and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens | ||
| فناوری و گیاهان دارویی ایران | ||
| Volume 7, Issue 1 - Serial Number 12, July 2024, Pages 104-92 PDF (517.25 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.22092/mpt.2025.370768.1200 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Ehsan Salehifar* 1; Saed Javanshiri2; Mojatab Hosseinpour mashhadi3 | ||
| 1Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Science, Ma. C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran | ||
| 2M. Sc. Graduated, Department of Agriculture Science, Ma. C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran | ||
| 3Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Science, Ma. C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different levels of basil (Ocimum basilicum) essential oil on growth performance, hematological parameters, antioxidant capacity, and meat quality in broiler chickens. A total of 300 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to five experimental treatments, including a control diet, three levels of basil essential oil (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg), and an antibiotic treatment with virginiamycin (150 mg/kg). Each treatment consisted of four replicates with 15 birds per replicate. The results indicated that supplementation with basil essential oil, particularly at 600 mg/kg, significantly improved feed conversion ratio and body weight gain (P < 0.05). In several parameters, its effects were comparable to those of the virginiamycin treatment. Dietary basil essential oil also decreased serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentrations, while increasing the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). No significant effects were observed on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or triglyceride levels. Moreover, basil essential oil reduced fat content and increased protein concentration in breast muscle without significantly affecting meat textural properties. Overall, these findings suggest that basil essential oil can serve as a natural and effective alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in broiler diets. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Basil essential oil; broiler chickens; blood profile; antioxidant capacity; meat quality | ||
| References | ||
|
| ||
|
Statistics Article View: 129 PDF Download: 68 |
||
Journal management system. designed by sinaweb