Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
- Seyedeh Fatemeh Mousavi 1
- Mohammad Reza Rezvani 2
- Mohammad Javad Agah 3
- Alidad Boostani 3
- Mohammad Dadpasand 4
1 MSc Graduated Student in Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
2 Associate professor, Animal Science Department, School of Agriculture,, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
3 Associate Professor in Animal Science Research Department, Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Shiraz, Iran.
4 Associate Professor in Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: The poultry industry plays a vital role in providing high-quality dietary protein and addressing global food shortages. Ensuring the safety of poultry products for human consumption while minimizing environmental impact has become a key priority in modern production systems. Historically, antibiotics were widely employed to enhance growth performance and prevent diseases in poultry. However, concerns over the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and the associated risks to public health have led to increasing restrictions on their use. The reduction or withdrawal of antibiotic use has, in some cases, contributed to the resurgence of infectious diseases and economic losses within the poultry sector. Consequently, there has been growing interest in natural alternatives that can support health and productivity. Among these alternatives, dietary immunomodulators have emerged as promising candidates. Substances such as nano-copper and propolis are recognized for their potential to act as natural growth promoters and immune enhancers in poultry production systems-
Material and Method: In this research, 240 chickens of Ross 308 strain were used with five treatments and four replicates in a completely randomized design. The experimental treatments included the Control diet, 0.05% Oxytetracycline antibiotic, 100 mg/kg Nano-copper, 125 mg/kg Propolis, and the simultaneous use of 100 mg/kg Nano-copper and 125 mg/kg Propolis. The experimental data were statistically analyzed using SAS software (version 9.4) and one-way analysis of variance, and the least squares mean of the treatments was examined at a significance level of five percent.
Results and Discussion: The findings of this study demonstrated that the use of propolis had significant effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and certain physiological parameters in broiler chickens. During the finisher phase and over the entire rearing period, birds receiving diets supplemented with nano-copper or a combination of nano-copper and propolis consumed significantly less feed compared to the control group. Regarding body weight gain over the total period, the antibiotic-supplemented group showed superior performance relative to the control group, while the propolis-treated group exhibited similar results to the antibiotic group. However, no significant differences were observed among the treatments in terms of feed conversion ratio. In terms of digestibility, the control and propolis groups exhibited the highest apparent digestibility of crude protein and ash. In contrast, nano-copper supplementation—especially in combination with propolis—resulted in reduced nutrient digestibility, which may be attributed to the potential negative effects of nano-copper on intestinal function. Although some previous studies have reported positive impacts of nano-copper on protein synthesis, these effects appear to be highly dose-dependent and influenced by environmental and management conditions. Additionally, the presence of enzymes and antioxidant compounds in propolis may contribute to improved digestibility.With respect to carcass characteristics, no significant differences were observed among treatments in the relative weights of internal organs, indicating the relative safety of these additives at the inclusion levels used in this study.
Conclusions: Considering the improvement of digestibility of protein and ash by ethanolic extract of Propolis and the lack of significant difference in performance with Oxytetracycline, this supplement can be used as a substitute for antibiotic.
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