Effect of Different Levels of Essential Oils of Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) on Growth Performance Carcass Characteristics and Immune System in Broiler Chicks

This experiment had been done to evaluate the effects of different levels of essential oils (EOs) of worm-wood (Artemisia absinthium) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum) on growth performance, carcass characteris-tics and immune system in broiler chicks. Three hundred ninety two Ross 308 male broiler chicks in a completely randomized design were divided into 7 experimental treatments. The experimental treatments were included a corn-soybean based diet as control and groups of containing 100, 200 and 300 ppm of worm-wood and cumin EOs. Results showed that cumin and wormwood EOs supplementation to the diets had no significant effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics (P 0.05) of broiler chicks. EOs infusions significantly (P 0.05) increased the relative weight of immune organ such as bursa of fabricius, However there was not significant difference between treatments in the relative weight of spleen (P 0.05). Anti-body titre against sheep red blood cell (SRBC), after 7 days injection, significantly increased by addition 200 ppm wormwood EOs and 200 and 300 ppm cumin EOs (P 0.05). In 14 days after SRBC injection, except treatment containing 100 ppm, all supplemented groups increased antibody titre compared to the control group (P 0.05). The results of this experiment suggest that inclusion wormwood and cumin EOs to the diets, tended to increase growth performance and improve immune system of broiler chickens.