An experiment was conducted to examine the effects on mortality, production performance, water intake (WI) and organ weight of Satureja khuzistanica essential oil (SkEO) using 720 one-day-old Arian broiler chicks in a 42-day trial. Experimental treatments were addition of 0 (control−), 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg/L SkEO or 500 mg/L polysorbate-80 (control+) into drinking water. The birds were kept under natural ambient temperatures 4-6°C above standard recommendation from days 22 to 42 of age. Addition of SkEO into drinking water at 200 and 500 mg/L decreased weight gain (P < 0.05) of the birds from days 29 to 35 of age with no differences in feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to control groups (P > 0.05). Addition of 300 and 500 mg/L SkEO into water increased mortality rate of the birds mainly from days 29 to 42 of age. The calculated European broiler index was greater for the birds receiving drinking water supplemented with 400 mg/L of SkEO compared with the other birds. In conclusion, administration of SkEO at 400 mg/L through drinking water to heat stressed broiler chickens may result in improved production performance efficiency.

Abstract. Citric acid (CA) is commonly used in poultry diets to promote growth by acidifying the gastrointestinal contents, improving nutrient digestibility, and reducing pathogen loads; therefore, this study was conducted to demonstrate the effects of 0, 30 and 60 g of CA per kilogramme of diet on productive performance, selected blood metabolites, immune response and certain gut-related variables in broiler chickens using 150, 7-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks in five replicates of 10 birds each per diet. Growth performance, daily feed intake and tibia phosphorous (P) retention were significantly improved by the diets containing 30 g kg −1 of CA (P < 0.01) but were suppressed as CA increased to 60 g kg −1 . Dietary CA increased proventriculus, gizzard and ileum percentage and villus length, crypt depth and goblet cell number in duodenum, jejunum and ileum as well as ileal digestibility of crude protein, apparent metabolisable energy and total phosphorus while it decreased the pH of contents in the gut segments concerned (P < 0.01). Diets containing 60 g kg −1 of CA significantly reduced plasma P and Fe levels as well as cholesterol level and Alkaline phosphatase activity (P < 0.05) while increasing the aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase activities (P < 0.01) in the blood serum of the birds at day 42 of age. The percentage of bursa and thymus was greater in the birds fed on diets containing 60 and 30 g kg −1 of CA, respectively (P < 0.01). It was concluded that inclusion of 60 g kg −1 of CA in the diet resulted in a severe reduction in performance, nutrient digestion and absorption and liver dysfunctions in broiler chickens, a phenomenon we call as acidic stress.

A 2  3 factorial experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding silymarin (0, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg) in aflatoxin contaminated diets (0 and 2.2 mg/kg) on selected performance, blood and liver parameters in broiler Japanese quails using 480 7-day-old mixed sex birds up to Day 35 of age. Feed intake, daily weight gain (DWG) and European production index (EPI) in Days 7-35 of age were reduced by 5.56, 5.97 and 10. 97%, respectively, and mortality was increased in the birds fed on diets containing 2.2 mg/kg aflatoxin (p < .05). Mean ALT, alkaline phosphatase (ALK), uric acid in birds grown on aflatoxin contaminated diet were 28.32, 12.29 and 16.34% greater than those fed with control diet, respectively (p < .05). The birds fed with diets containing 1000 mg/kg silymarin showed greater DWG (6.35%) and EPI (12.89%) and lesser feed conversion ratio (6.6%) during Days 7-35 compared with control birds (p < .05). Mean ALT (37.46%), AST (16.90%) and ALK (27.67%) activity reduced in birds grown on diets containing 2000 mg/kg silymarin (p < .05). Mean serum concentration of phosphorous increased (13.44%) and glucose (GLU) decreased (10.37%) in the same birds compared with control quails (p < .05). A significant dietary silymarin  aflatoxin interaction observed for DWG, blood concentrations of ALT, AST, calcium, GLU, LDL, triglyceride and proportional weight of liver, testis and spleen in Day 35 of age. It was concluded that Supplementation of 1000 mg/kg silymarin into the contaminated diets alleviated the adverse impact of aflatoxins on bird's performance. HIGHLIGHTSDiets contaminated with aflatoxins cause impaired growth and altered hepatic function in broiler quails. Inclusion of silymarin in diet, alleviate the adverse impact of aflatoxins on bird's performance. Greater levels of silymarin (2000 mg/kg) relives the AF-induced intimidating alterations in the liver and blood parameters in quails.

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