Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) on physiological and heamato-biochemical parameters of broiler

Abstract

One hundred and sixty eight (168) ‘Vencob’ day-old broiler chicks were used in an experiment to determine the effects of ginger  (Zingiber officianale)  and  cardamom  (Elettaria cardamomum)  powder  on  the  physiological  and  heamto-biochemical  parameters  of  broilers.  The  birds  were  randomly  assigned  to  seven  dietary  treatments  in  a  Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) consisting of 24 birds per treatment with 6 birds per replicate in a feeding trial that lasted for a period of 42 days. Zingiber officinale and Elettaria cardamomum at 0%, 1%, 2% and 3% were added to the basal  diet  and  their  effects  determined  on  physiological  and  heamato-biochemical  parameters.  At  the  end  of  the experiment,  1  birds  were  randomly  picked  from  each  replication  and  their  blood  samples  were  collected  for haematological assay and serum analysis. Results showed that haematological parameters were significantly influenced by the treatment. Serum components such as haemoglobin (Hb), serum triglyceride, serum HDL cholesterol, serum LDL cholesterol, serum protein, serum glucose, total cholesterol, body temperature and respiration rate of broilers were significantly influenced by 1 per cent ginger powder. The results of this investigation therefore, demonstrate that the inclusion of ginger at 1 per cent level reduced serum cholesterol, triglyceride, sugar and increased protein and HDL level when compared to the control diet and normal anatomical and physiological function of birds was not disrupted.