STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF Β-GLUCAN AND DRIED CHICORY ROOTS EXTRACT SUPPLEMENTATION IN BROILER DIETS ON IMMUNE SYSTEM, GROWTH AND PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS

This study was done to investigate the effects of a supplementation of β-glucan and dried Chicory roots extract into broiler rations on immune system and other parameters like growth performance, intestinal length and serum cholesterol and triglycerides levels. A total of 320 male Ross broiler chicks of one day old were divided into 3groups one of them control and other three are treatment groups, each contain 80 birds. Each group then was further divided into 4 replicate groups of 20 birds in each. The treatment groups were supplemented with 0.7% dried Chicory roots, 0.015% β-glucan and 0.7% dried chicory roots plus 0.015% β-glucan, respectively, and the experiment lasted for 6 weeks. Determining the effects on specific antibody titer for ND virus to investigate some immune-modulatory roles, and for that purpose, administration of ND vaccine on day 10 and then on day 26. In addition, the serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were investigated. At the end of the experiment, dried Chicory roots supplementation to the diets significantly increased the intestine length. The supplementation of 0.7% dried Chicory roots with 0.015% β-glucan to the diets had negative effects on some performance parameters and also increased serum cholesterol and triglycerides levels (P < 0.001, P < 0.01, respectively). The amount of abdominal fat of the broilers in the post mortem examinations also increased during that treatment in the birds in the Chicory roots with β-glucan group by the end of the trial period.