Evaluation of Herbal Neonatal Chick Care Against Iron-induced Toxicity in Broilers

A study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of herbal Neonatal Chick care (NNCC) against iron-induced oxidative stress. A total of 130 day-old sexed male broiler chicks (Vencobb strain) were randomly divided into six groups consisting of 25 chicks each in groups 1–4 and 15 each in groups 5 and 6. Group 1 was maintained on basal diet, groups 2 and 3 on herbal NNCC at 6 and 8 g/chick/day, respectively, for 2 days immediately after hatching and later continued with basal diet up to 6 wk. Group 4 was given FeSO₄ at 0.5% of feed for 6 wk, while groups 5 and 6 were given NNCC as in groups 2 and 3, and later continued with the FeSO₄ as in group 4 for 6 wk. The concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyls, glucose and calcium, and the activity of alanine transaminase (ALT) were significantly (P<0.05) increased in group 4 at the end of 6th week, while the concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) index and HI titer were significantly (P<0.05) decreased in group 4. The NNCC treated groups (2, 3, 5 and 6) showed marked improvement in all the above parameters. It can be concluded that herbal NNCC offered protection and proved beneficial in resisting the adverse effects of stressor.