Comparative efficacy of herbal vis-a-vis chemical liver tonic on growth performance, carcass quality and serum activities in commercial broilers

One thousand two hundred broiler chicks of day old age (Cobb 400) were randomly divided into three groups with one control and two treatments having 400 birds in each group with 4 replicates of 100 broilers each. The control (T0) was offered feed without liver tonic whereas, other two groups were supplemented with chemical liver tonic (Toxol, Vesper) 0.500 g/kg diet (Tl), and herbal liver tonic (Hepaceaf, Concept) 0.500 g/kg diet (T2) from day old age till the end of trial (42 days). Final body weight gain of treatment groups (Tl and T2) was significantly higher than untreated control group (P<0.05). Birds fed diet T2 (contained herbal liver tonic) had higher body weight., better F.C.R. and higher economic returns in comparison to the birds fed diet Tl(contained chemical liver tonic). Evaluation of carcass and meat quality parameters on slaughtered representative birds revealed that both the treatment groups (Tl-6% more and T2-3% more) had significantly higher dressed and eviscerated percentage meat yields as compared to control (P<0.05). The lighter meat colour and the lower pH in the meat of the treated group chickens (diet Tl and diet T2) were found than untreated control (diet T0). The study also revealed that supplementation of herbal and chemical liver tonics has protected the efficacy of liver and heart as well as any damage of the organs. It was evident that there was significant decrease in liver marker enzymes aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransaminase (SGOT and SGPT), total triglycerides and cholesterol in treated groups than control (P<0.05) indicating better health of the birds. Supplementation of herbal liver tonic were reflected in better result than chemical liver tonic and untreated control.