The Effects of a Combination of Garlic, Oyster Mushroom and Propolis Extract in Comparison to Antibiotic on Growth Performance, Some Blood Parameters and Nutrients Digestibility of Male Broilers

A study was conducted to evaluate the combined effects of garlic, oyster mushroom and propolis extract on the growth performance, organ weights, antibody response to Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), serum lipid concentrations and nutrient digestibility of male broilers. A total of 192 day old chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to 3 treatments with 4 replications (16 birds per replication). Experimental treatments were a maizesoybean based diet as control, control diet supplemented with a combination of garlic (30 g/kg), oyster mushroom (2 g/kg) and propolis extract (0.2 g/kg) known as GMP, and control diet supplemented with Virginamycin (0.25 g/kg) as antibiotic. The inclusion of GMP decreased (p < 0.05) live body weight, average daily gain and feed intake but had no effect on feed conversion ratio when compared to control diet. GMP and antibiotic had no effects on relative weight of organs. Antibiotic decreased (p < 0.05) the relative weight of small intestine segments. GMP decreased total cholesterol but did not affect other serum lipids when compared to control group. Antibiotic increased (p < 0.05) cholesterol concentration in serum. The inclusion of GMP to the diet improved antibody response to NDV when compared to control and antibiotic diets. In conclusion, the results showed that GMP decreased growth performance but improved immunity of broiler chickens. More studies should be performed to confirm the action modes of such combinations.