The effect of herbs on the share of abdominal fat and its fatty acid profile in broiler chickens

In the experiment involving 210 ROSS broiler chickens, divided at random into one control (C) and 6 experimental groups (1-6), the effect of substituting 2% of dried herbs for AGP (flavomycin) on the weight and share of abdominal fat and its FA profile was studied. The herbs fed to experimental broilers were as follows: 1. hop cone, 2. lime tree, 3. lemon balm, 4. pansy, 5. peppermint and/or 6. nettle. Compared to the AGP, pansy, peppermint and/or nettle substituted for AGP significantly decreased the weight and share of abdominal fat in broiler chickens, whereas the beneficial effect on its weight was shown only for the lime tree. It was noted that every examined herb improved the UFA/SFA proportion. Hop cone remarkably increased the sum of MUFA and lowered the sum of PUFA in abdominal fat, compared to AGP. Hop cone and lime tree were the only herbs which had an adverse effect on PUFA n-6/PUFA n-3 proportion in broilers' abdominal fat.