| Summary: | A total of 300 day old broiler chicks (Hubbard) were assigned to 30 floor pens (10 birds per pen) under cyclic heat stress. Three diets including a control, as well as two levels of grape seed powder (GSP) and zinc (OZ) at the rates of 2.5 g/kg GSP + 50 mg/kg OZ and 5 g/kg GSP + 50 mg/kg OZ, were supplied to the broilers for 35 days. According to the results, broiler feed intake improved (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in GSP + OZ groups from 3–5 weeks and on an overall basis compared to the control diet. Body weight increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in GSP-5 + OZ-50 during weeks 2–5 and on an overall basis. The findings indicated that feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) during week 5 in broilers supplemented with GSP-5 + OZ-50. The antibody titer (HI) against Newcastle disease (ND) was higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in GSP + OZ groups compared to control treatment. The value of malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) under GSP + OZ diets compared to control. Moreover, paraoxonase (PON1) was higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in GSP + OZ groups compared to untreated broilers. In conclusion, GSP + OZ positively supported growth traits, reduced MDA, and augmented PON1 and HI titer against ND in broilers exposed to heat stress.
|
|---|