Effect of dietary chilli powder on growth performance and serum cholesterol contents of broiler chicken

Abstract

With the ban on the use of antibiotic growth promotants (AGP) in animal industry, search for alternatives to AGP has received a renewed scientific attention. Herbal extracts such as capsaicin have found to improve the growth performance of broiler chicken. Chilli (Capsicum annum) is a good source of natural capsaicin. Objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary chilli powder (CHPW) on growth performance and serum cholesterol levels of broiler chicken. One hundred broiler chicks in 20 cages received one of the four experimental diets containing either 0 (control), 1, 3 or 5% of CHPW from day 30-49. Serum cholesterol contents were determined on day 47. Mortality rates, feed and water intake were not affected by the dietary CHPW. The birds fed 5% CHPW gave higher (p<0.05) live weight on day 49 and weight gain from day 30-49, compared to control group. Though not significant, feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the bids fed 5% CHPW (2.14) was 6% better than that of the control birds (2.28). Visceral organ weights, abdominal fat pad percentage and the litter parameters were also not affected by the dietary CHPW. Serum cholesterol levels of the birds fed 1% CHPW were significantly lower than those of the birds fed either 0 or 5% dietary CHPW. Results of this experiment conclude that 5% dietary CHPW had growth promotant effect while 1% CHPW had hypocholesterolaemic effect in broiler chicken.