Table 4.

Effect of nuciferine on plasma metabolic hormones in broiler chickens.

Item	Supplemental nuciferine (mg/kg)
	0 mg/kg	25 mg/kg	100 mg/kg	400 mg/kg
T3 (ng/mL)	1.68 ± 0.15	1.71 ± 0.11	1.59 ± 0.16∗	1.49 ± 0.14∗
T4 (ng/mL)	49.32 ± 3.01	47.01 ± 1.89	44.32 ± 1.05∗	37.89 ± 1.94∗
FT3 (fmol/mL)	3.09 ± 0.32	2.31 ± 0.12∗	2.11 ± 0.29∗	1.99 ± 0.35∗∗
FT4 (fmol/mL)	8.11 ± 0.49	7.81 ± 0.51	6.38 ± 0.47∗	6.21 ± 0.78∗
Insulin (pg/mL)	207.45 ± 11.23	209.21 ± 18.76	211.63 ± 20.07	210.45 ± 29.11
Glucagon (pg/mL)	278.91 ± 9.71	284.44 ± 16.73	296.52 ± 14.42	311.04 ± 9.65∗

Data are presented as means ± SEM. Each nuciferine-treated group represents 12 chickens at the age of 42 d.

Abbreviations: FT3, free triiodothyronine; FT4, free thyroxine; T3, triiodothyronine; T4, thyroxine.

^∗P < 0.05 indicates statistically significant differences when compared with the control group.

^∗∗P < 0.01 indicates statistically significant differences when compared with the control group.