EVALUATION OF HAEMATOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL AND SMALL INTESTINAL MORPHOMETRIC CHANGES IN BROILER CHICKENS ADMINISTERED WITH FISETIN AND PROBIOTIC DURING THE EARLY RAINY SEASON
Abstract:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of fisetin and probiotic administration on haematological, biochemical and small intestinal morphometric changes in broiler chickens during the early rainy season. Sixty day-old broilers of both sexes used for the study were divided into four groups: Group I (control) was given distilled water; Group II, fisetin; Group III, probiotic; and Group IV, fisetin + probiotic, each orally for 7 days. Blood samples were collected from each bird in the four groups on day 42 for determination of erythrocyte osmotic fragility, serum concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), packed cell volume, red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration, total and differential leucocyte counts and total plasma protein concentration. Three birds per group were sacrificed to evaluate small intestinal morphology. The dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity and temperature-humidity index ranges during this experiment were 25.00 – 36.00 °C, 47.00 – 100.00% and 25.00 – 35.55, respectively, indicating the birds were subjected to heat stress. At 0.5% and 0.3% NaCl, fisetin and/or probiotic significantly (P < 0.001) reduced erythrocyte osmotic fragility, compared to control broiler chickens. The MDA concentrations in probiotic (5.66 ± 1.06 nmol/L), fisetin (14.37 ± 1.15 nmol/L) and fisetin + probiotic (4.14 ± 0.58 nmol/L) administered groups were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than that of the control group (22.64 ± 2.95 nmol/L). A significant increase in serum SOD activity in the treated groups: fisetin (6.34 ± 0.24 IU/L), probiotic (5.67 ± 0.09 IU/L), fisetin + probiotic (5.93 ± 0.13 IU/L), were obtained when compared to the control group (5.37 ± 0.09 IU/L). The values of packed cell volume, red blood cell, haemoglobin and total protein concentration in the treated groups were higher (P < 0.05) than those of the control group. Total leucocyte, eosinophil, basophil and lymphocyte counts in the treated groups did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) from the corresponding values in the control group. Heterophil/lymphocyte ratio was lower in the treated groups (fisetin, 0.10 ± 0.04; probiotic, 0.09 ± 0.04; fisetin + probiotic, 0.11 ± 0.03), vii than that of the control group (0.54 ± 0.12). Values obtained for the small intestine showed that villus height, villus width, crypt height, crypt width, villus height/crypt height ratio, surface area of villus and crypt were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the treated groups, when compared to those of the control group. It was concluded that the administration of fisetin and probiotic decreased MDA concentration and heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, and increased SOD activity as well as surface area of villus in broiler chickens exposed to heat stress. The administration of fisetin and probiotic alleviated the detrimental effects of heat stress and may enhance broiler chicken production during the early rainy season in the zone.
EVALUATION OF HAEMATOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL AND SMALL INTESTINAL MORPHOMETRIC CHANGES IN BROILER CHICKENS ADMINISTERED WITH FISETIN AND PROBIOTIC DURING THE EARLY RAINY SEASON
