DefinePK

Abstract

ABSTRACT Dried tomato pomace (DTP) is a low-cost and nutritionally beneficial byproduct of tomato processing that is obtained during the production of tomato paste. This research aimed to assess the impact of Zinc (Zn) and DTP supplementation on the growth, carcass quality, blood metabolites, intestinal histology and antibody levels in broiler chickens exposed to heat stress. A total of 625 Hubbard broilers were distributed among 25 floor pens, with 25 birds per pen. The birds subjected to heat stress (HS) were provided with a basal diet (control), Zn at a concentration of 50 mg/kg (Zn-50), and two levels of DTP at rates of 10g/kg (DTP-10) and 20g/kg (DTP-20) of feed over a span of 35 days. The results demonstrated significantly higher (P<0.01) total feed consumption, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio for both the DTP-10 and DTP-20 groups as compared to the control group. Additionally, the dressing percentage was also notably higher (P<0.01) in these supplemented groups. Notably, the supplementation of DTP-10 and DTP-20 led to a reduction (P<0.01) in the levels of MDA (malondialdehyde) in the broilers experiencing heat stress. In conclusion, the findings of this study suggest that supplementation with DTP-10 and DTP-20 significantly improved growth performance, lowered MDA, and strengthened humoral immunity in thermal stressed broilers.