Exploring the potentials of Ocimum sanctum (Shyama tulsi) as a feed supplement for its growth promoter activity in broiler chickens

The present studies were aimed to optimize the non-toxic dose of Ocimum sanctum in broiler chickens following feed supplementation with dried leaves powder of Ocimum sanctum at different doses which can be used to study the antiviral and immunomodulatory effects in vivo in Infectious bursal disease model during subsequent studies. The chicks were planned to infect with Infectious bursal disease at 4 weeks of age after dried leaves powder treatment for atleast 15 days. Therefore the broiler chickens at two weeks of age were divided in to seven groups for giving the feed supplemented with different doses @ 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 mg of dried leaves powder of Ocimum sanctum per chicken daily for 15 days. The chickens in all groups were monitored for various growth and toxicological parameters at specified intervals. The clinical signs, body weight gain, biochemical changes (SGOT, SGPT, uric acid, creatinine), hematological changes (Hb, PCV, TEC, TLC), histopathological changes in visceral organs (spleen, liver, bursa) and their organ indices were analyzed at different intervals post treatment with dried leaves powder of Ocimum sanctum. Maximum weight gain was observed in-group of chickens treated with 200 mg of dried leaves powder per bird daily for 15 days as compared to control group, although other treatment groups have shown the variable results in terms of weight gain. But the hematological, biochemical and histopathological studies revealed all parameters within normal range for these groups. Thus optimized non-toxic dose can be used further for evaluation of studying its various biological activities including growth promoting and other therapeutic activities for future development of Ocimum sanctum based herbal drugs.