SYNERGISTIC EFFECT OF OLIVE-GARLIC EXTRACT OIL DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION ON GUT MORPHOMETRY AND MORPHOLOGY, CARCASS YIELD AND ORGAN WEIGHT OF BROILERS

The continuous use of antibiotic growth promoters in broiler production has resulted in increased rate of antibiotic resistance in humans which necessitates the search for suitable alternatives without adverse effect on humans. The effect of dietary olive-garlic extract oil (OGEO) supplementation on gut morphometry and morphology, carcass yield and relative organ weights of broilers was investigated in this study. The experiment lasted for 42 days and broilers were fed diets supplemented with varying levels of OGEO at two phases (starter (0-21 days) and finisher (22-42 days)) using two hundred and forty unsexed Ross broilers. Four experimental diets were formulated for the starter and finisher phases and the diets were designated as diet 1 which is the control (without OGEO supplementation) while diets 2, 3 and 4 were supplemented with OGEO at 1g/kg diet, 3g/kg diet and 5g/kg diet respectively. Individual treatment has four replicates containing fifteen birds per replicate (60 birds per treatment). Gut morphometry and morphology, carcass yield and relative organ weights, were determined on day 42. The data generated from the study were analysed in a one-way analysis of variance using SAS 2000 and significant differences among means were determined using Tukey’s test in the same software. Increased duodenal villi height (Q, p=0.049) (1786.78 µm) and villi height/crypt depth ratio (L, p=0.012; Q, p=0.006) (3.95) was significantly increased with dietary supplementation of 1% OGEO for broilers. Higher dressed percentage (DP) (Q, p=0.013) and breast meat weight (L, p=0.032; Q, p=0.012) was higher for broilers fed 1g/kg OGEO-supplemented diet than other treatments. The weight of the bursa, thymus and spleen weight were not significantly influenced by dietary supplementation of OGEO. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of OGEO at 1g/kg increased duodenal villi height and DP of broilers