Comparative effects of n-hexane and methanol extracts of elecampane (Inula helenium L.) rhizome on growth performance, carcass traits, feed digestibility, intestinal antioxidant status and ileal microbiota in broiler chickens

ABSTRACTIn this study, the effects of dietary methanol and n-hexane extracts of elecampane rhizome (MEER and HEER, respectively) on growth performance, apparent ileal nutrient digestibility (AID), ileal microbiota, intestinal morphology and antioxidant status of the intestinal mucosa were compared in broiler chickens. In total, 450 1-d-old male chicks were allotted into five groups in six replicates of 15 chicks each. Dietary treatments included: a control, control plus 500 or 1000 mg MEER per kg diet (MEER500 and MEER1000) and control plus 500 or 1000 mg HEER per kg diet (HEER500 and HEER1000). Broiler performance was not affected by dietary treatments during the starter and grower periods. However, in the finisher (25–42 d) and entire (1–42 d) periods, an increase in body weight gain and a corresponding decrease in feed conversion ratio was noticed when birds received Diets MEER1000 or HEER1000. Also, considering the entire trial, the growth-promoting action of MEER was found to be greater than HEER. Wh...