Effects of Feed Additive from Phlomis Umbrosa Turcz. and Cynanchum Wilfordii (Gromax®) on Growth Performance, Meat Production and Biochemical Parameters in Broiler

Abstract

Korean government banned antibiotic use in animal feed from July 2011. Therefore many replacers of antibiotics were introduced such as enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, medium chain triglyceride (MCT), organic acid, and herb etc. Several studies were conducted to evaluate the use of oriental herbs instead of antibiotics as an animal feed additive for growth performance. One of animal feed supplements, Gromax® is being introduced instead of dietary antibiotics. Gromax® is a feed additive from herbs, Phlomis umbrosa Turcz. and Cynanchum wilfordii which are known as a stimulator of secretion of IGF-1(insulin-like growth factor) in human. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of supplementation of Gromax® in broiler feed. This study was conducted using a completely randomized design. A total of 300 broiler chickens were allotted into 5 treatments with 6 replicates. Broilers were fed one of five treatment diets during growing (3weeks) and finishing phase (2weeks). All nutrients in corn-soybean meal diets were formulated to meet or exceed the nutritional requirement ROSS 308. The Gromax® addition were varied as 1) NC: basal diet, 2) T1: basal diet + Gromax® 0.025%, 3) T2: basal diet + Gromax® 0.050%, 4) T3: basal diet + Gromax® 0.075%, 5) T4: basal diet + Gromax® 0.100% respectively. Feed and water were fed ad libitum. After 5 week-trial, growth performance, feed conversion ratio, relative viscera organ weight, tibia strength, serum metabolites and nutrient digestibility were determined. No significant differences were observed in growth performance and mortality of broilers (P>0.05), FCR was improved approximately 3.3% without statistical significance when broilers were fed with Gromax® treatment diet. However, there was significant decrease in LDL and blood triglyceride in Gromax® supplemented treatments compared with control group (P<0.05). No significant difference was observed on relative weight of spleen, abdominal fat, breast muscle and leg muscle among dietary treatments. Concentration of blood GOT, GPT, total cholesterol and HDL were not affected by dietary treatments. However, there was significant decrease in LDL and blood triglyceride in treatment groups compared with control group. (P<0.05). Although tibia strength was not affected by Gromax® treatment, there were higher circulating IGF-1 concentration in treatments compared to control. The more secretion of IGF-1 into blood of treatments significantly compared to control. The more Gromax® were added, the higher IGF-1 concentrations were observed. There were no significant differences between treatments in digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude ash and crude fat(P>0.05). Although growth of broiler and weights of organ weights were not affected by dietary Gromax® treatment, FCR was improved approximately 3.3% and Production Index was improved 6% in Gromax® 0.1% treatment without significant difference. This study demonstrated that Gromax® supplementation in broiler diet could be used as a growth promoter without any detrimental damage to liver function.