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Soapnut shell powder as immunomodulatory and welfare friendly feed additive in broiler chicken

With growing awareness for safe and clean poultry products among consumer, the industry faces a tough challenge of antibiotic free as well as welfare friendly poultry farming. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of soapnut shell powder, rich in saponins, as immune enhancer and stress reliever in broiler chicken. The broiler chicks were randomly distributed into four dietary treatments, viz. T1 (basal diet, control), T2 (basal diet with 100 mg saponin/kg diet), T3 (basal diet with 150 mg saponin/kg diet), and T4 (basal diet with 200 mg saponin/kg diet) and reared up to 42 days of age. The results revealed that supplementing saponin level beyond 100 mg/kg diet significantly reduced body weight gain and feed intake of birds at 4th and 5th week of age with no significant effect on the FCR. The cell mediated and humoral immunity of birds also improved due to saponins @ 100 mg/kg diet or above. However, no significant dietary effects were observed on the weight of immune organs. Similarly, the abdominal fat (%) and H:L ratio of birds significantly decreased at 100 mg saponin level indicating the stress relieving effect of saponins. The study concluded that dietary supplementation of saponins (100 mg/kg diet) in the form of soapnut shell powder not only enhances the immunity but also improves the welfare of birds without affecting feed efficiency. Thus, soapnut shell powder can be used as an alternative option for the antibiotic free broiler chicken production especially in hilly areas where it is cheaply available.