Role of Feed Added Aniseed as Immunomodulant and Growth Promoter in Broiler Chicks

A research study was conducted to investigate the effect of feed added aniseed on the immune response, lipid profile and overall performance of broiler chicks. Two hundred and forty, day old broiler chicks were randomly distributed into four groups designated as W, X, Y and Z and each group was further divided into two subgroups. Each subgroup was replicated three times with 10 checks per replicate for different treatments. One of the subgroups was vaccinated with ND, IB and IBD vaccine according to the normal schedule. Group W was kept as a control, while group X, Y and Z were treated with ground aniseed in feed @ 5, 10, and 15g/kg respectively.Body weight and feed conversion ratio were significantly (P<0.05) improved in group X as compared to other groups. No significant (P>0.05) difference was recorded in mean feed intake, dressing percentage, breast weight, leg, thigh, intestine, heart, liver, spleen and thymus, while significant (P>0.05) difference in bursa was recorded in group Y and gizzard in group Z. Group Z had significant (P>0.05) effect on the reduction of total cholesterol and triglycerides as compared to others. Non-significant (P>0.05) difference in LDL values were found, however numerically high HDL values was found in group W as compared to other groups. Mean antibody titer against ND, IB and IBD was significantly (P<0.05) higher in group Z. It is concluded that feeding of aniseed @ (10g/kg) added in feed is better for Improving body weight gain,FCR, immune response, increasing HDL level and decreasingLDL level. et al. Role of Feed Added Aniseed as Immunomodulant and Growth Promoter in Chicks.


Introduction
Poultry feed a major factor, affecting the overall performance and cost of production of poultry birds, because feed segments in poultry production are 70-80% of the total cost. Balanced ration not only improve the production performance of broiler chicks, but also reduce per unit cost of production. Poultry nutritionists have been working, since the commercialization of poultry industry to enhance the efficiency of feed utilization by all possible economic measures. To improve the efficiency of feed, certain nonnutritive feed additives, like coccidiostats, antibiotics, enzymes and hormones are frequently used in poultry feed as growth promoter to ensure the pathogenic free environment in the intestine to facilitate the epithelium to absorb the nutrients more efficiently. The extensive use of these synthetic feed additives in poultry feed, resulted in the development of resistance in microorganisms to antibiotics and its residues are accumulated in meat and eggs, which is serious threat to human health. Concerted efforts are made to cope with this great challenge to investigate the efficiency of natural feed additives of significant importance both nutritionally and medically. The Kawas 1998) and (Dixit, et al. 2005). It also gives relief to upper respiratory tract infection (Schicher, 2000). Moreover, the plant and specially its fruit essential oil has been used for treatment of some disease, including seizures and epilepsy [1]. Keeping in view the numerous medicinal properties of aniseed, worked out by many scientists, a research study was conducted on the use of aniseed in broiler production.

Experimental Design
Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used in the present study. Two hundred and forty (240) day old broiler chicks were randomly divided in to four treatment groups, designated as w, x, y and z. Each group was carrying two subgroups and each subgroup was replicated three times with ten (10) chicks in each replicate. One of the subgroups of the treated and control groups (W, X, Y and Z) were vaccinated against ND, IB and IBD. Chicks were kept in pens and were reared in an open sided house in pens. Feeder, drinker, bulb and other necessary materials were provided to chicks in each pen to maintain sound managemental and environmental conditions. Experiment was lasted for 35 days.

Preparation of Aniseed
The dry seed of Pimpinella anisum L. was purchased from local market and was ground with help of grinding machine. After grinding of Pimpinella anisum L. were added in commercial feed @ 5, 10 and 15 g/Kg of feed and were fed to the treated groups. The ground seed was thoroughly mixed with feed for each group in to two steps. First a small portion of feed was mixed with the known amount of Pimpinella anisum L., and then this was added in the remaining feed to ensure proper uniform mixing.

Data Recorded
Data was recorded for water intake, feed intake and mortality on daily basis and body weight gain on weekly basis. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated on weekly basis by dividing weekly feed intake on weekly weight gain. Total FCR was calculated from these values. On the last day of study one bird from each replicate was live weighed and slaughtered. Head, feet, and all internal visceral organs including abdominal fat were removed and then the dress body will be weighed. The dress body weight was expressed in terms of dressing percentage. Dressed carcass of the birds was then cut in to different parts weight of thigh, leg and breast were recorded. Giblet (Heart, Liver and Gizzard) from slaughtered birds were collected and weights were recorded. Carcasses of each replicate were opened to weigh different lymphoid organs i.e. spleen, thymus and bursa, separately. Mean weight of lymphoid organs was calculated and relative weight of these organs to the body weight was calculated, using the following formula as described by Sharma et al. [2]. At the end of experiment, blood samples were collected for each replicate in test tubes. Test tubes were kept in slanting position at suitable temperature for serum separation; the separated serum was packed and labeled properly. It was subjected to heamagglutination inhibition (HI) test to determine its titer against Newcastle disease (ND) and infectious bronchitis disease (IB) and ELISA to measure its antibody level against infectious bursal disease (IBD) as described by Marquardt et al. [3].

Data Analysis
Averaged results were expressed as means and evaluated for statistical significance with an analysis of variance (Two factorial, Randomize Complete Block Design) test as described by Steel, et al. [4]. Statistical package (RCBD) was used for comparisons of

Results and Discussion
Performance of broiler during the experimental period

Body Weight Gain
Chicks were weighed on day first and then at the end of each week, to determine weekly body weight gain by subtracting the initial weight from final weight, recorded at the end of each, week Cumulative weight gain was Mean body weight gains per chick were 1011, 1235, 1087 and 1059 grams respectively and is given in (Table 1). [ 13], who reported that no significant effect on the mean weight of leg using medicinal herbs curcuma longa in broiler chicks.

Heart and Gizzard
There was no significant difference (P>0.05) was observed in mean weight of heart i.e. (7.17, 7.33, 7.00 and 8.33) in the present study shown in (Table 2). However, significant difference (p<0.05) was observed in the gizzard i.e. (24.17, 35.50, 26.00 and 28.33). It means that grounded aniseed, having antimicrobial and antibiotics like properties, have no influence on either increasing or decreasing the relative weights of heart and these finding are therefore in contrast to the results of the Fairley et al. [8]. He reported that a significant increase occurred in the proportions of giblets, when broiler chicks were fed an antibiotic avoparcin.

Liver Weight
The result of liver weight shown in (Table 2)  Result of the present study are in agreement with the result of Ismail et al. [13], who reported non significant effect on the mean weight of liver, using medicinal herbs curcuma longa in broiler chicks. The present findings justify the findings of Hernandez, et al. [5,9], which fed herbal drugs to broiler chicks and reported non significant effect on the mean weight of liver of broiler chicks. was recorded in the mean weight of thigh among the treated and between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups. However mean weight of thymus was numerically higher in-group Z than other groups. The results could be correlated with Kakar, et al. [11] who reported that herbal medicines had no significant effect on the mean weight of thymus of broiler chicks. Similar findings are also reported by Sajjad, et al. [10] and Niazi, et al. [15] who fed different levels of (P. anisum) and B. lyceum extract respectively and found no significant difference in mean weight of thymus.

HI Antibody Titer Against ND
Significantly differences were observed among all the groups against ND. Highest (P < 0.05) antibody was recovered in group Z, while non significant values were found between vaccinated and group in interaction which shown in (

ELISA Antibody Titer Against IBD
Mean antibody titer against IBD for groups W, X, Y and Z was 896.33, 1170.00, 1332.00, and 2229.17 respectively. Mean antibody titer against IBD was significantly (P<0.05) higher ingroup Z among the treated and in vaccinated group interaction. The antibody titre of IBD in group Z has the highest level against the normal (1000) protected level. Our observation can be compared with the observation of Wheeler, et al. [6], who noticed that herbal drugs had anti stress and immunomodulatry property in chicken.
The result can also be justified by the findings of Kakar, et al. [10][11][12] who reported that medicinal herb extract, given in drinking water had significant effect (P<0.05) on the mean antibody titer against IBD of broiler chicks.

Economics of Research Trial
One objective of the present study was to determine the feasibility of addition of aniseed in commercial broiler production under local condition. Economics were calculated on terms of feed cost including the cost of aniseed gross return. Mean feed cost per chick was RS 33.2, 33.2, 33.8 and 33.8 groups W, X, Y and Z.
subgroups of vaccinated and non-vaccinated was 32.8 and 33.7 respectively as presented in (Table 3). Mean gross return per chick was 72.7, 72.6, 85.8 and 72.9 for group W, X, Y and Z and subgroups of vaccinated and non-vaccinated was 74.9 and 72.1 respectively as presented in (Table 3). Mean feed cost per chick was not significantly (P>0.05) affected among the treatments and between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated, however gross return was found significantly (P<0.05) higher in group Y and nonsignificant between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated subgroups.
in the economics of chicken using medicinal herbs curcuma longa in broiler chicks. The observation of our research study are also supported by the finding of Kakar, et al. [11] who calculated that (P. Anisum) and (Z. Officinal )given in drinking water respectively had significant effect (P<0.05) on the gross return of broiler chicks [16][17][18][19][20].