Haematological and Serum Biochemical Indices of Finisher Broilers Fed Varying Dietary Levels of Artemisia annua (Sweet Wormwood)

Abstract

A 4-week study was conducted to evaluate the haematological and serum biochemical indices of finisher broilers fed varying dietarylevelsofArtemisiaannua(sweetwormwood).Atotalof ninety28-dayoldfinisherbroilerwererandomlyallocatedtofive groups and fed diets containing five levels of A. annua (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 g per kg of diet, respectively). Each group was replicated three times with six birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). The results showed that birds fed diet 1 (control)had significantly (p<0.05) lower WBC value(33.67x10³/μl) than those fed other diets. The RBC ,PCV and Hb values for birds fed diet 2 (diet containing 50 g of A. annua per kg of diet) were significantly (p<0.05) higher than the RBC, PCV and Hb values for birds fed diet 5 (diet containing 200 g of A. annua per kg of diet). There were no significant (p>0.05) differences among treatments in the MCHC, MCH and MCV of the birds. The total protein (TP) value (4.50 g/dl) for broilers fed diet 1 (control) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that (3.70 g/dl) of birds fed diet 5. The albumin, serum globulin, urea, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein values for birds fed the different diets did not differ significantly (p>0.05). It was concluded that A. annua leaf meal can be included in the diet of finisher broilers at 200 g per kg of diet without any deleterious effect on their haematological indices and at 150 g per kg of diet without any adverse effect on the serum TP of birds.