Effect of Green Coffee, Green Tea, Cinnamon and Rosemary Extracts on Productive Performance, Feeding Behavior, Immunity and Oxidative Stress in Broilers Suffering Heat Stress

Abstract

Global warming and adverse environmental temperature changes became one of the most harmful challenges facing the poultry industry, especially broilers, due to their fast growth rate, high metabolic rate, and increased internal temperature. In this study, 1250 Cobb 500 one day old chicks were used to evaluate the effects of different herbal extracts (Green coffee (GC), Green tea (GT). Cinnamon (CV), and Rosemary extracts (SR)) on productive performance, carcass traits, cellular immunity, lipid markers and oxidative stress under prolonged heat stress for 12 hours daily all-over experimental period. All extracts were used at the same inclusion rate of 3 kg per ton. All herbal extracts improved body weight at 21 days and 42 days age. Similarly, total weight gain and total feed conversion ratio were improved by supplementation. Mortality was significantly reduced; however, green coffee and green tea showed better results than cinnamon and rosemary extracts. Carcass traits and dressing, breast, shoulder, and left filet percentages also improved by herbal extract supplementation. The abdominal fat percentage offered a significant reduction in treated groups, especially those that received green tea extract followed by green tea cinnamon and rosemary extracts, which showed a substantial increase under heat stress conditions with significant improvement in phagocytic index and activity. Antioxidant parameters, Lipid profile, kidney and liver function, acute phase proteins were improved considerably by herbal extracts supplementation, which indicates the desirable role of herbal extracts during heat stress. It was remarkable that green coffee and green tea showed the most significant improvement in most studied parameters.