Nutritional enrichment of broiler breast meat through dietary supplementation of Indian ginseng Withania somnifera and synbiotic substances under semi-arid climatic conditions

AIM: The present study was conducted to explore the effect of supplementation of Withania somnifera and synbiotics alone or in combination on the composition of broiler breast meat under heat stress conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 42-day feeding trial was conducted on 360 broiler chicks randomly allotted into eight treatment groups with three replicates each under completely randomized design. The T(1) group was kept as control whereas T(2)-T(4) were supplemented with 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% W. somnifera root powder; T(5) and T(6) were supplemented with 0.025% and 0.050% synbiotic and T(7) and T(8) were fed on diet containing 0.25% W. somnifera+0.025% synbiotic and 0.50% W. somnifera+0.05% synbiotic, respectively. Three broilers from each replicate were sacrificed at the end of the trial to estimate crude protein (CP), ether extract and ash content of the breast muscle on dry matter basis. RESULTS: Significantly higher CP values and lower ether extract values were observed in 1.5% W. somnifera supplemented group (T(4)) or in group supplemented with 0.50% W. somnifera and 0.05% synbiotic (T(8)). The ash content of breast meat was observed non-significant in T(1)-T(4) groups however the inclusion of synbiotics in T(5)-T(8) groups significantly raised the ash contents. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that inclusion of 0.5% W. somnifera with 0.05% synbiotic substance enriches the total protein content and reduces the total lipids content of broiler breast meat under heat stress conditions.