Effects of goji berry (Lycium barbarum) leaf supplementation on performance, meat lipid oxidation, carcass characteristics and some blood values of broiler chickens

The aim of this study was conducted to investigated the effects of supplementing diets with goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.) leaves (GBL) on performance, breast and thigh meat lipid oxidation, meat chemical composition, body components, digestive tract parts and some blood values in broiler chickens. The experiment carried out in Uşak University Faculty of Agriculture Animal Husbandry Testing Unit. A total of 144 d-old unsexed chickens were weighed and randomly allocated to four experimental groups with three replicates of 12 chickens each. The experiment lasted for 42 days.Treatments were as follows: (i) basal diet (control), (ii) basal diet+1 g/kg GBL, (iii) basal diet + 5 g/kg GBL and (iv) basal diet+ 10 g/kg GBL. The results revealed that 10 g/kg GBL improved body weight (0-6 weeks) (P<0.01), body weight gain (4-6 weeks) and feed intake (4-6 and 0-6 weeks) (P<0.05). Feed conversion ratio did not significantly change with GBL treatment (P>0.05). Addition 10 g/kg GBL of the diet increased heart weight and proventriculus length (P<0.05), however, decreased breast meat lipid oxidation on d 21 (P<0.05). GBL supplemantation did not affect the total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose and triglycerides (P>0.05) but decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P<0.05). In conclusion, the performance of broilers improved, and positive effects on breast meat lipid oxidation and LDL were determined by adding 10 g/kg GBL to broiler diets.