الفهرس 
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Abstract
Aim of Study: The present study was planned to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with graded levels of green tea (GT), chamomile flower (CHF) and licorice powder (LP) on productive performance, carcass characteristic and blood parameters. Place and Time of Study: This study was carried out from July to August, 2018 at the Poultry Production Farm, Center for Agricultural Research and Experiments, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University. Experimental Birds, Diets and Management: Three experiments were performed at the same time on day-old Cobb-500 broiler chickens. In each experiment, a total of 128 chicks was divided into four experimental groups, each with four replications (8 chicks each) and kept in battery cages. The dimensions of each battery cage were 70×60×40 cm. Two basal starter (1-21 days of age) and grower (21-42 days of age) diets were formulated and used from day-old to 6 weeks of age. In the first experiment, GT was added to the basal diets at levels of 0.0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 g/kg diet and used. In the second experiment, CHF was added to the basal diets at levels of 0.0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 g/kg diet and used. In the third experiment, LP was added to the basal diets at levels of 0.0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 g/kg diet and used. All the experimental groups of chicks were ad lib. and subjected to similar managerial conditions during the period of this study. Criteria of Response of Broiler chickens: The response of broilers to feeding diets supplemented with graded levels (0.0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 g/kg diet) of green tea (GT) powder, chamomile flower (CHF) powder and licorice powder (LP) was evaluated as growth performance, carcass traits and blood plasma parameters. Statistical Analysis: A completely randomized design in one-way analysis of variance was used in this study. Data were statistically processed using the General Linear Model Procedures of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS, 2006). Significant differences between means of different treatments were identified by Duncan’s Multiple Range test (Duncan, 1955). The most important results can be summarized as follows: Experiment One: During the last week of study, the final LBW of broiler chickens supplemented with GT at 0.25 g/kg diet recorded significantly lower (P≤0.01) LBW than those of other treatments. The total BWG of broiler chickens fed the diets fortified with GT powder at levels of 0.50 or 0.75 g/kg were significantly higher (P≤0.01) than that of birds enriched with 0.25 g/kg of GT but comparable to that of the control group. During the whole experimental period, the total FI of broilers fed the diet enriched with 0.50 g/kg of GT powder was significantly lower (P≤0.01) than those of other treatments but was comparable that of chicks received the diet enriched with 0.75 g/kg GT. Broilers fed the diets fortified with 0.5 or 0.75 g/kg GT powder displayed significantly better (P≤0.01) FCR than did other experimental groups during whole experimental period. Dietary GT powder supplementation did not significantly (P>0.05) affect carcass traits of 6-wk-old of broiler chickens. Dietary supplementation with GT powder to broiler chickens significantly increased blood plasma levels of CHO, LDLC and CRE and activity of ALT and AST but decreased levels of TP and SOD compared with the control group while plasma concentrations of HDLC and bilirubin were not affected .Experiment Two: During the sixth week of study, broiler chicks enriched with CHF powder at 0.50 g/kg diet displayed significantly higher (P≤0.05) final LBW than those of chicks enriched with CHF powder at 0.75 g/kg diet or the control group. During the entire experimental period, broilers fed the diet enriched with CHF powder (0.5 g/kg) achieved significantly higher (P≤0.05) BWG than that of chicks enriched with CHF powder at 0.75 g/kg diet but was comparable to those of the other experimental groups. During the whole experimental period, broilers fed the CHF powder-enriched diets consumed significantly less feed (P≤0.01) compared with that of the control group. During the whole experimental period, FCR of birds fed the diet enriched with CHF powder (0.5 g/kg) was significantly better (P≤0.05) than that of the control group but was comparable to those fed the diets supplemented with 0.25 or 0.75 g/kg of CHF powder. Dietary supplementation with CHF powder did not significantly (P>0.05) affect all carcass traits of 6-wk-old of broiler chickens. Dietary supplementation with CHF powder did not significantly (P>0.05) affect most blood plasma parameters but led to a significant reduction (P≤0.01) in plasma levels of TP than those of the control group. Experiment Three: Dietary supplementation with LP did not significantly (P>0.05) affect final LBW and total BWG of broiler chickens during the whole period of study. Dietary supplementation with LP produced a slight reduction in total FI and a slight improvement in total FCR, particularly with birds fed the diets enriched with 0.75 or 0.5 g/kg of the LP compared with that of the control group. Dietary LP supplementation did not significantly (P>0.05) affect all carcass traits and most blood plasma parameters of 6-wk-old of broiler chickens. General Conclusions: Dietary supplementation with GT powder to broiler chickens positively affected their growth performance, significantly increased blood plasma levels of CHO, LDLC and CRE and activity of ALT and AST but decreased levels of TP and SOD compared with the control group while carcass characteristics and plasma concentrations of HDLC and bilirubin were not affected. Feeding the diets enriched with CHF powder (at a level of 0.5 g/kg diet) to broiler chickens improved their growth performance compared with the control group. Feeding the CHF-supplemented diets led to significant reductions in total FI and blood plasma TP level but had no significant effects on carcass traits and most blood parameters. Dietary supplementation with LP powder (at a level of 0.75 g/kg diet) to broiler chickens significantly improved their total FCR, reduced their total FI but their final LBW and total BWG were not affected. Feeding the LP-enriched diets had no significant effects on carcass traits and most blood biochemical parameters.