ABSTRACT

1. The effect of Foeniculi aetheroleum essential oil (EO) on growth performance, nutrient utilisation, serum biochemistry, immune response, ileum morphology, microbial population and meat quality of broiler chickens fed a corn- or wheat-based diet were determined.

2. A total of 360 broiler chickens were arranged in a 2×2 factorial assay in a completely randomised design with six replicates and 15 birds per experimental unit. Birds were fed corn- or wheat-based diets supplemented with (200 mg/kg) or without fennel EO.

3. Birds fed wheat-based diets had lower BWG and FCR during grower period and lower FI during finisher period as compared to those fed corn-based diet (P<0.05) whereas addition of fennel EO decreased chickens BWG during finisher period and EPEF, both in wheat or in corn-based diets. Dietary treatments had no effect on serum glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, AST, ALT, ALP, and MDA concentrations (P<0.05).

4. Antibody titres against avian influenza and sheep red blood cell antibody titres, crude protein and crude fat utilisation, villous height, crypt depth and epithelium thickness were not influenced by dietary treatments (P>0.05). Inclusion of Fennel EO to the corn-based diet resulted in greater villous width and villus surface area while it reduced lamina propria thickness (P<0.05). Fennel EO reduced ileal E. coli and Lactobacillus spp. populations (P<0.05). Dietary treatments had no significant effect on meat pH, cooking loss, drip loss, crude protein, crude fat content and cholesterol concentration of breast and thigh meat, total phenolic and MDA concentrations, and breast meat sensory parameters (P>0.05).

5. These results showed that addition of fennel EO to wheat-based diets had a negative effect on chicken growth performance variables and decreased gut E. coli populations. However, immunity, meat quality and nutrient utilisation were not affected by dietary treatments.

摘要

1.确定了以玉米或小麦为基础饲喂的肉凤尾草香精油（EO）对生长性能，营养利用，血清生物化学，免疫反应，回肠形态，微生物种群和肉品质的影响。

2.在完全随机设计的2×2析因分析中，总共布置了360只肉鸡，每个实验单位重复六次，每组15只。用添加了（200 mg / kg）或不添加茴香EO的玉米或小麦为基础的饲喂鸟类。

3.与以玉米为基础的日粮相比，饲喂小麦为基础的日粮的鸡在生长阶段的BWG和FCR较低，在育肥期为较低的FI（P <0.05），而添加茴香EO则使鸡的BWG在育肥期和EPEF降低，无论是小麦还是玉米饮食。饮食治疗对血清葡萄糖，甘油三酸酯，胆固醇，LDL-胆固醇，AST，ALT，ALP和MDA浓度无影响（P <0.05）。

4.饮食治疗对禽流感和绵羊红细胞抗体的滴度，粗蛋白和粗脂肪利用，绒毛高度，隐窝深度和上皮厚度均无影响（P> 0.05）。玉米基日粮中加入茴香EO可增加绒毛宽度和绒毛表面积，同时减少固有层厚度（P <0.05）。茴香EO减少了回肠大肠杆菌和乳酸杆菌属。人群（P <0.05）。日粮处理对肉的pH值，蒸煮损失，滴水损失，粗蛋白，粗脂肪含量和胸肉和大腿肉的胆固醇浓度，总酚和MDA浓度以及胸肉的感官参数没有显着影响（P> 0.05）。

5.这些结果表明，在基于小麦的日粮中添加茴香EO对鸡的生长性能变量具有负面影响，并减少肠道大肠杆菌数量。但是，免疫力，肉质和养分利用率不受饮食治疗的影响。