Department of Poultry Science, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal.
* Part of M.V.Sc. thesis submitted by the tirst author to Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai.
An experiment was conducted in broilers for a period of 7 weeks to study the effect of dietary supplementation of different levels of copper, garlic and their combinations on serum and meat cholesterol. The experiment was carried out in 3x3 factorial arrangement with three levels of copper (0, 150 and 250 ppm) as cupric sulphate pentahydrate and three levels of garlic (0.0.5 and 1%) as dried garlic powder. The dietary supplementation of copper at 150 or 250 ppm, garlic at 0.5 or I % and their combinations signiticantly (P<0.01) reduced the serum total cholesterol, breast meat cholesterol and thigh meat cholesterol in broilers at 5th, 6th and 7th weeks. The combination 0f 250 ppm copper and 1% garlic supplementation had the maximum cholesterol lowering effect in this study and reduced the serum cholesterol by 32.7%, the breast meat cholesterol by 35.7% and thigh meat cholesterol by 23.5% in broilers at the market age of 7 weeks. It is concluded that the inclusion of 250 ppm of copper and 1% garlic in the broiler feed was acceptable for reducing the cholesterol in the meat.
Copper and garlic supplementation, serum total cholesterol, breast and thigh meat cholesterol
