EFFECT OF HERBS ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF LAYING HENS, SOME BLOOD CONSTITUENTS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITYIN EGG YOLK.

The present study aimed to evaluate the comparative effect of ginger, cinnamon, thyme, cumin black seed and pomegranate peels on productive performance, egg quality and some blood constituents of laying hens. Ninety white Hi-Sex layers at 30 week of age were randomly allocated into six treatment groups for ten weeks experimental period. The layers groupsfed six different diets as, basal diet (T1, control)or basal diets supplemented with 1% of five different dried herbal plants , cumin black seeds (T2), thyme (T3), cinnamon (T4), ginger (T5) and pomegranate peels (T6). Thyme wasthe most effective supplementation in improving egg production followed by cinnamon. Average egg weight reduced significantly by feeding dietary thyme, cinnamon, ginger or pomegranate peels. Herbal plants have no significant (P≤ 0.05) effects on feed consumption or feed conversion ratio. The percentages of egg yolk, albumin or egg shell did not differ due to treatments. There were reductions in plasma and yolk levels of total cholesterol and LDL. Total phenolic content in different herbs were significantly similar. Free radical scavenging capacity (DPPH reduction %) was approximately similar for different herbs plants, and in egg yolk. Egg yolk contents of carotenoids increased significantly due to inclusion different herbal plants into laying hens diets. It can be concluded that, herbal plants can be employed as natural antioxidants due to its high contents of phenols. As well, inclusion of herbal plants into hen diets can improve the nutritive values of produced eggs via increasing its content of carotenoids and antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]