Effect of Dietary Dried Berberis Vulgaris Fruit and Enzyme on Some Blood Parameters of Laying Hens Fed Wheat-Soybean Based Diets

Abstract

An in vivo study was conducted to evaluate dried berberry fruit (DBF) and enzyme on some blood parameters of laying hens. In a 5 * 2 completely randomized block design with factorial arrangement and 4 blocks as replicate, 5 levels of DBF (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2%) and 2 levels of NSP-degrading enzyme (0.0, and 0.05%) in wheat-soybean based diets were tested in 480, 100-week old laying hens for 4 weeks. Some blood parameters of laying hens including hematocrit value, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL-cholesterol were recorded at 104 weeks of age. DBF significantly (P<0.05) changed hematocrit value and HDL-cholesterol (with or without enzyme), and LDL-cholesterol (with enzyme). It was concluded that use of DBF as a phytochemical compound may improve some of the blood parameters and possibly egg components that are important for human health.