Find in Library

In this feeding trial, a total of 500 Cobb-500 broiler (day-old) chickens were randomly assigned to a control dietary treatment (basal diet only) or supplemented with crushed seeds of coriander (<i>Coriandrum sativum</i> L.), black cumin (<i>Bunium persicum (Boiss.) B. Fedtsch</i>) and ajwain (<i>Carum copticum</i> L.) (at 10 mg/kg each) and exogenous protease (30,000 IU/kg), respectively, in order to assess the effect of the diets on nutrient digestibility, bone strength and gut morphology. The results indicated that the digestibility coefficients of crude protein, crude fat, nitrogen-free extract, calcium and phosphorous were significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) higher in protease-treated birds compared to the control. The tibia bone weight was improved (<i>p</i> = 0.03) in <i>Carum copticum</i>, <i>Coriandrum sativum</i> and protease-supplemented birds. Bone length increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in protease and <i>Carum copticum</i> fed broilers, while the robusticity index decreased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in all treatments. Villus length and width decreased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in <i>Carum copticum</i> and <i>Bunium persicum</i> fed broilers. From findings, it was demonstrated that exogenous protease shows comparatively better results in improving bone quality, ileal digestibility and villus morphology in broilers.