Department of Animal Production, University of Ilorin, Ilorin (Nigeria)
* Corresponding author; E-mail: bolusao2002@yahoo.co.uk; bolusteve@fastmail.fm
An experiment was conducted using completely randomized design to assess specific enzyme profiles and organ histology of broilers. The birds were fed diets containing improved (addition of anti microbial, terramycin, and anti-oxidant, butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) natural vitamin premix (NVP) and commercial alternative. Feed intake weight gain and mortality were similar for all the treatments. Plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALT), serum alanine transferase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase (AST) activities were not different (P>0.05) among broilers fed different diets. The specific histological samples taken from the liver, kidney and cardiac and breast muscles did not reveal any aberration in the structural integrity and architecture. Generally, improved NVP resulted in comparable responses for both specific enzyme profile and organ histology vis-a-vis the commercial alternative and unimproved NVP.
Vitamin premix, serum enzyme profile, broilers, histology