부산대학교 도서관

Simple Summary: This research investigated the feasibility of using discarded pomegranate peel powder as a natural supplement to enhance growth and gut health in broilers, offering a natural solution against coccidiosis. The inclusion of 3 and 6 g/kg of pomegranate peel powder demonstrated significant efficacy in alleviating the hindered growth rate induced by coccidial oocysts. These doses also led to a notable reduction in pathological lesions within the cecum and a decrease in oocyst numbers. Additionally, they restored the cecal morphological features in the broilers. These results emphasize the beneficial potential of incorporating 3 and 6 g/kg of pomegranate peel powder as a dietary supplement, potentially enhancing the growth and cecum health of broilers in response to coccidial challenge. Thus, pomegranate peel provides a natural, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective solution for poultry production under a coccidial challenge. Coccidiosis stands as one of the most prevalent enteric parasitic diseases in broilers. While antibiotics have traditionally been used for the control of coccidiosis, concerns related to drug residues and the emergence of resistance in chickens have prompted consumer apprehensions. In this study, 600 Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into five groups: a control group without specific treatments (NC), broilers deliberately exposed to Eimeria tenella (positive control), broilers challenged with E. tenella but dosed with antibiotics (AT), and two groups experimentally exposed to E. tenella while simultaneously receiving pomegranate peel powder (PPE) at dosages of 3 g/kg (3PPP) and 6 g/kg (6PPP). The results revealed that all Eimeria-treated birds exhibited significantly worse growth performance compared to the NC. Notably, a marked improvement was observed in birds infected with E. tenella when supplemented with 6PPP. Both 3PPP and 6PPP supplementation significantly reduced lesion scores, mortality, and oocysts per gram (OPG). Furthermore, histological examination of the cecum indicated that the villus dimensions were restored by PPP supplementation in infected birds. In conclusion, Eimeria-infected birds supplemented with 6PPP experienced an enhanced growth rate, lowered lesion scores, alleviated oocyst shedding, and improved intestinal histological dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]