Growth Performance, Nutrients Digestibility, Immune System, and Blood Parameters in Broiler Chickens Fed on Diets Supplemented with Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) or Black Cumin (Bunium persicum) Seed Powders

Effects of dietary inclusion of cumin (CUM) and black cumin (BCUM) powders were investigated on the performance, nutrient digestibility, lipid deposition, and immunocompetence of broiler chickens in a rearing period of 42 days. A total number of 240 male ROSS 308 day-old chicks were randomly allocated to six dietary treatments with four replicates. Dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet as control, control + 10 ppm avilamycin, control + 0.25% CUM, control + 0.75% CUM, control + 0.25% BCUM, and control + 0.75% BCUM. Feed intake, body weight gain (BWG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded weekly. Total tract apparent digestibility (TTAD) of crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) were measured on day 21. Sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity (CBH) tests were used to evaluate immune responses. On day 42, two chickens from each replicate were selected, bled, euthanized, and carcass, abdominal fat pad, and internal organs were weighted. CUM and also avilamycin improved BWG during the grower and whole period of the experiment. Also, FCR was improved by CUM (0.75%) as well as avilamycin compared to control. Also, CUM (0.75%) decreased serum total cholesterol and LDL, and increased anti-SRBC response compared to control. Supplementing the diet with 0.75% CUM also decreased abdominal fat pad percentage compared to other groups. There was an improvement in TTAD of CP and EE with dietary inclusion of CUM (0.75%) as well as avilamycin, compared to control. However, BCUM did not changed the all measured parameters but increased FCR and decreased (0.75% BCUM) BWG and TTAD of CP compared to control. This study indicated growth-promoting, immunostimulatory, and hypolipidemic effects for cumin as a phytogenic feed additive. Then, it may act as an alternative for in-feed antibiotics in broiler nutrition.