Immunomodulatory and growth promotion studies on the effect of dietary mushroom and oxytetracycline in broiler chicken

Abstract EN

One hundred and twenty, one day old, chickens were divided into 6 equal groups.

Group I : control group fed on balanced commercial ration.

Group II : treated group fed on balanced commercial ration supplied with oxyteyracyeline 20 % as a growth promoter in a dose of 250mg / kg ration for 5 weeks (from 1 day old chick till the end of the 5th week of the experiment).

Group III, IV, V and VI treated group fed on balanced commercial ration supplied with mushroom extract in a dose of 0.5 gm / kg ration, dried powdered mushroom in a dose of 11.75 (M1), 17.5 (M2) and 23.5 (M3) gm / kg ration, added after 1st week and for 3 weeks respectively.

Five random samples of whole blood and serum were separated from all experimental groups at 2nd, 4th and 6th weeks for investigation.

Our results showed increased body weight, increased weight gain, decreased total feed intake and decreased feed conversion ratio in mushroom treated groups in comparison to the control and oxytetrcycline groups.

The immunological parameters were significantly increased ; IL-2, bactericidal activity, lysozyme activity and HI titer in mushroom administered groups and significantly decreased in oxytetracycline groups in comparison to control.

We could conclude that mushroom has prospective effect on the growth rate, and non specific and specific immune responses in broiler chicks.