The effect of using of bitter cucumber fruit powder, Citrullus colocynthis, and probiotic on growth performance and intestinal morphology of broiler chicks

Abstract

<strong>Background & aim: </strong>The fruit of <em>Citrullus colocynthis </em>has a bitter taste and antibacterial properties against pathogen factors.The aim of current research was to study the effects of different dietary level of bitter cucumber fruit powderwith and without protexin probiotic supplementation on growth performance, carcass traits and intestinal morphology of broiler chicks.<br /> <strong>Experimental: </strong>Two hundred forty of one-days old of Ross broiler chicks at a 4×2 factorial experiment design (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%bitter cucumber with 0 and 0.01%protexin) were randomly distributed to eight dietary treatments with three replicates and fed 42 days. Feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio of birds were measured during the experiment. At the end of experiment the internal organs of chicks were weight and intestinal morphology was evaluated.<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> Feed intake of chicks significantly reduced by 0.4 and 0.6% bitter cucumber fruit treatments and body weight gain of chicks were significantly improved (p<0.05). Feed conversion ratio significantly reduced in bitter cucumber fruit powder treatments (p<0.05) but probiotic supplement didn't show any effect on this parameter. The bitter cucumber fruit powder significantly increased the yield of carcass, breast meat and heart of chicks. The villus height, width, crypt depth, and thickness of muscle mucosal of intestinal chicks were significantly increased by 0.6% bitter cucumber dietary treatment and probiotic supplement significantly increased villus height and thickness of muscle mucosal of chicks (p<0.05).<br /> <strong>Recommended applications/industries: </strong>The results of this experiment showed that dietary supplementation of bitter cucumber fruit powder at 0.4% with protexin probiotics could be used as a symbiotic supplement in diets of broiler chicks.