Effect of Ginger Powder on Production Performance, Antioxidant Status, Hematological Parameters, Digestibility, and Plasma Cholesterol Content in Broiler Chickens
by
,
Hanan Al-Khalaifah
*
,
Afaf Al-Nasser
,
Tahani Al-Surrayai
,
Hanan Sultan
,
Dalal Al-Attal
,
Rawan Al-Kandari
,
Haya Al-Saleem
,
Aisha Al-Holi
and
Fatma Dashti
Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2022, 12(7), 901; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070901
Submission received: 24 January 2022
/
Revised: 7 March 2022
/
Accepted: 14 March 2022
/
Published: 31 March 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Poultry Nutrition and Production)
Simple Summary
Chicken meat is a popular food item all over the wrld. Improving the nutrition of broilers is important for producing high-quality broiler meat. The inclusion of natural effective ingredients, such as ginger, in the diet of broilers did not adversely affect the palatability of the diet, nor did it cause anemia in the broilers. Rather, ginger enhanced the oxidative status and growth rate of broiler chickens.
Abstract
The effect of dietary ginger powder on the production performance, digestibility, hematological parameters, antioxidant status, dietary oxidation stability, and plasma cholesterol content of broiler chickens was investigated. Ginger powder was included in the diet at 0, 5, 10, or 15 g/kg. Total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde in sera samples, superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and malondialdehyde in liver samples, and the peroxide value and acid value of the stored diets were evaluated. The results showed that ginger inclusion significantly improved antioxidation indices in broiler sera and liver. Total body weight gain in ginger-supplemented birds was higher than that of control birds (p < 0.048). Supplementing the broiler chickens with ginger powder reduced total feed consumption (p < 0.031). White blood cell counts and the percentage of heterophils in the blood were increased in birds that received ginger supplementation (p < 0.001). The inclusion of ginger in the diet improved dry matter digestibility, crude protein utilization, crude fiber utilization, and ether extract utilization. In addition, blood cholesterol, triglyceride, and very low-density lipoprotein levels were decreased (p < 0.001), and high-density lipoprotein and levels were increased, following the inclusion of ginger in the diet (p < 0.001).
Keywords:
antioxidant; broilers; ginger; hematological parameters
