Tewatia, B.S.Ahlawat, Parveen Kumar2017-12-132017-12-132017http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810037495To assess the effects of supplementation of different levels of turmeric powder (Curcuma longa) on growth performance of broiler chicken, an experiment was conducted on three hundred, one day old commercial broiler chicks allocated randomly to six dietary treatments having five replicates each and each replicate had ten birds. Maize-soybean meal based diet served as the basal diet. The basal diet without antibiotic was fed to T1 group. Treatment group T2 was offered basal diet with antibiotic. In treatment groups T3, T4, T5 and T6, basal diet was supplemented with turmeric @ 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0%, respectively. The highest average feed intake (g/bird) during the whole growth period was recorded in T5 (3991.3) and the lowest value was recorded in T1 (3891.0), however, the differences between the treatments were non-significant. Supplementation of turmeric powder @ 0.50% level in the diet resulted in significantly higher (P<0.05) body weight gain (2239g) as compared to control (2001.2g). Feed conversion ratio was better (P<0.05) in T4 (1.77) as compared to control group (1.94). Supplementation of turmeric @ 0.50%, 0.75% and 1% level in the diet resulted in significantly higher (P<0.05) metabolizability of dry matter, nitrogen and gross energy as compared to the control group. The carcass characteristics, the dressing%, eviscerated% and relative weight of organs were similar in different groups, however, abdominal fat content varied significantly (P<0.05) and the lowest value was recorded in T6 (1.71%) as compared to the control group (2.4%). Villus height, width and crypt depth of intestine increased significantly (P<0.05) in turmeric supplemented groups as compared to control group. Significant reduction (P<0.05) in Coliform bacteria (4.55 log cfu/g) and significant increase (P<0.05) in Lactobacilli count (6.47 log cfu/g) was recorded in T4 as compared to control (7.58 and 4.64 log cfu/g, respectively). Protein content of breast muscles was higher (P<0.05) in treatment T4 as compared to the control group. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL decreased (P<0.05) as a result of turmeric supplementation as compared to control. Serum HDL (90.77 mg/dL) was significantly (P<0.05) higher in turmeric supplemented groups as compared to the control group (86.75mg/dL). Meat cholesterol (42.6) was significantly reduced (P<0.05) on turmeric supplementation @ 1% as compared to the control group (51.40 mg/100g fat) whereas fatty acids showed non-significant changes. Relative expression of mRNA of birds was enhanced non- significantly on turmeric supplementation as compared to the control group. Higher profit was obtained in treatment groups as compared to the control group. It could be concluded that turmeric powder might be a potential alternative of antibiotic growth promoters and turmeric powder supplementation @ 0.5% proved to be the based with respect to body weight gain, feed conversion efficiency and higher profit recordedenThesis