Table 3.
Effect of nuciferine on growth performance and carcass composition in broiler chickens.
| Item | Supplemental nuciferine (mg/kg) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 mg/kg | 25 mg/kg | 100 mg/kg | 400 mg/kg | |
| BW (g), 42 d | 2,631.39 ± 16.18 | 2,618.4 ± 20.03 | 2,537.46 ± 33.75 | 2,428.68 ± 31.48∗ |
| ADG (g/d), 22–42 d | 62.65 ± 4.13 | 62.34 ± 12.04 | 60.42 ± 7.15 | 56.83 ± 3.01∗ |
| ADFI (g/d), 22–42 d | 145.5 ± 5.03 | 142.68 ± 8.12 | 141.22 ± 4.35 | 139.32 ± 6.11 |
| FCR (g:g), 22–42 d | 1.98 ± 0.05 | 1.94 ± 0.11 | 1.92 ± 0.04 | 1.96 ± 0.07 |
| Absolute abdominal fat (g) | 124.8 ± 10.8 | 116.5 ± 9.6 | 98.7 ± 7.4∗ | 93.4 ± 14.8∗,∗∗ |
| Relative abdominal fat (%) | 4.74 ± 0.67 | 4.45 ± 0.48 | 3.89 ± 0.22∗ | 3.85 ± 0.47∗ |
| Absolute liver weight (g) | 59.9 ± 5.8 | 54.6 ± 7.1 | 51.9 ± 9.4 | 46.3 ± 2.5∗,∗∗ |
| Relative liver weight (%) | 2.28 ± 0.30 | 2.20 ± 0.35 | 2.05 ± 0.34 | 1.91 ± 0.08∗,∗∗ |
Data are presented as means ± SEM. Each nuciferine-treated group represents 12 chickens at the age of 42 d.
Abbreviations: ADFI, average daily feed intake; ADG, average daily gain; BW, body weight; FCR, feed conversion ratio.
∗
P < 0.05 indicates statistically significant differences when compared with the control group.
∗∗
P < 0.05 indicates statistically significant differences when compared with the group treated with 25 mg/kg of nuciferine.