Effects Of Crude Extracts Of Alfalfa Flavone On Growth Performance And Lipid Deposit Of Broilers

The paper studied the effect of crude extracts of alfalfa flavone on growth performance, nutrient apparent metabolizability, serum biochemical index, carcass characteristics and meat quality of broilers through a series of single-factor experiments, adopting 120 female broilers of 30 days old with similar body weight. They were randomly divided into 5 treatments with 4 replicates of 6 birds. Groupâ… as control group was bred by corn-soybean basal diet, groupâ…¡as alfalfa meal group was bred by alfalfa meal group diet with 5% alfalfa meal, which contained 298 mg/kg flavone of alfalfa, while other groups (â…¢,â…£,â…¤) were bred by basal diet with 882 mg/kg,1765 mg/kg and 2647 mg/kg crude extracts, which contained 150 mg/kg,300 mg/kg and 450 mg/kg flavones of alfalfa respectively. After breeding period, growth performance, nutrient apparent metabolizability, serum biochemical index, carcass characteristics and meat quality etc. were determined and analyzed statistically. The results were the following ones:(1) Crude extracts of alfalfa flavone could improve the growth performance and feed conversion ratio of broilers. Groupâ…£which contained 300 mg/kg alfalfa flavones proved better effect. Compared to groupâ… , the average daily gain of group IV increased 7.4% (P>0.05), and the average weight increased 4.5%(P>0.05). Feeds with alfalfa meal had no obvious advantage in the growth performance of broilers.(2) Crude extracts of alfalfa flavone could improve the apparent metabolizability of calcium. The calcium metabolizability of groupâ…£was 8.5%(P<0.05) higher than groupâ… , but the effect of crude extracts of alfalfa flavone had no significant effect on other nutrient apparent metabolizability (P>0.05), crude extracts of alfalfa flavone has a increased trend to CP metabolizability while a decreased trend to EE metabolizability.(3) Crude extracts of alfalfa flavone could reduce the content of blood lipid, urea nitrogen (UN) and uric acid (UA). The serum total cholesterol (CHO), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL-C), urea nitrogen (UN) and uric acid (UA) in serum of broilers, which feed with alfalfa meal and crude extracts of alfalfa flavone, were decreased at different levels compared to control group. The serum UA of groupâ…£was 32.9% (P<0.05) lower than groupâ… . The serum high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) of all treatment groups was increased compared to groupâ… . The serum T3 content of groupâ…¡, groupâ…£and group V were all significantly increased compared to group. See from all, the diets contained with 300 mg/kg and 450 mg/kg alfalfa flavones had better effect on broilers.(4) Crude extracts of alfalfa flavone could improve carcass characteristics of broilers to some extent. Crude extracts of alfalfa flavone could reduce abdominal fat proportions, subcutaneous fat thickness and intermuscular fat width. The abdominal fat protortion of groupâ…¡and group IV was 19.9% and 22.0% lower than group Irespectively (P<0.05). Crude extracts of alfalfa flavone could increase the content of CP in breast muscle and leg muscle. Feeds contained 150 mg/kg alfalfa flavones could improve immuinty function of broilers. The spleen index and bursal index of treatment groups were all higher than control group. The bursal index of groupâ…¢were significantly higher than groupâ… .