Small intestinal histology, production parameters, and meat quality as influenced by dietary supplementation of garlic [Allium sativum) in broiler chicks

Four hundred day-old male hatchling chicks were obtained from the female line of Lohmman grandparent stock farms and fed rations supplemented with different levels (0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 1.0%) of dried garlic powder. Each treatment consists of 5 pens. Feed and water were provided as ad libitum throughout the experimental period. Production parameters measured were body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio. Final body weight and feed conversion ratio were not affected (P>0.05) by garlic supplementation. However, feed consumption was the lowest (P<0.05) at 0.5% and 1%. Small intestinal histological measurements were influenced (P<0.05) by garlic powder supplementation. In duodenum, villus length was the highest (P<0.05) in birds fed with diets containing 1% garlic powder, and villus and epithelial width were the highest (P<0.05) in chicks fed with diets containing 0.5 percentage of dried powder. In jejunum, the villus length was the highest (P<0.05) in birds fed with diets containing 0.25% and 1% garlic powder, while villus and epithelial width were the lowest (P<0.05) in chicks fed with diets containing 0.5% of dried powder. Carcass traits were not affected (P>0.05) by garlic supplementation. All meat quality parameters measured were not affected (P>0.05) by garlic powder supplementation (cooking loss percentage, shear force, lightness, redness and yellowness), except for juiciness percentage and pH, which were the lowest (P<0.05) at 1.0% and 0.25%, respectively. As a conclusion, this study shows that garlic at a 0.5% level might be of beneficial effect on intestinal morphymetry parameters, as well as on production parameters.