Effects of dietary Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris) powder in different carriers on growth performance, carcass characteristics and blood parameters of broiler chicks.

Summary This study was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary powder of Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris (TT)), carried with cotton oil, cellulose and bentonite on growth performance, carcass characteristics, TBA (thiobarbituric acid) value of breast meat and blood parameters of broiler chicks. In total, 192, day old broiler chicks were divided into 12 groups of 16 chicks each one was one replicate with similar body weights. Treatment birds were fed on their own diets supplemented with 0 (control); 1 g TT; 2 g TT; 0.1 g cotton oil; 0.5 g cellulose; 0.5 g bentonite; 1 g TT with 0.1 g cotton oil; 2 g TT with 0.2 g cotton oil; 1 g TT with 0.5 g cellulose; 2 g TT with 1 g cellulose; 1 g TT with 0.5 g bentonite and 2 g TT with 1 g bentonite per kg diet during 6 weeks. Results showed that there were no significant differences between control and treatment groups (P>0.05) with respect to the observed parameters (growth performance, body components, TBA value and blood parameters), except abdominal fat pad. Bentonit control (30.5 g), 1 g of TT carried with bentonite (31.0 g) and 1 g of TT carried with cellulose (31.4 g), increased abdominal fat pad compared to control (26.4 g) (P<0.01). It is concluded that future studies on TT as a feed supplement by examining different extraction methods, coverage methods, doses and carriers are needed.