Evaluation of Growth Performance, IL-6 and Serum Biochemical Parameters of Rats Fed on Diets Containing Thyme and Ginger Powder

Abstract

Antibiotics have been extensively used as feed additives and growth performance in animal feed industry. The use of antibiotics is hazardous due to multiple resistances of pathogens. Thyme and ginger are medicinal herbs which have anti- inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties and used as feed additives in animal industry. Thus, the present study carried out to estimate the effect of thyme and ginger on some biochemical and immunological parameters in addition to their effect on the growth performance. Fifteen male rats were divided into three groups, first one was fed on basal diet (the control), second group was fed on basal diet contained thyme (5%) and the third was fed on basal diet contained ginger (5%). The experiment lasts for 4 weeks and then serum sample was collected. Our results revealed the presence of significantly increase in body weight; body gain and feed efficiency values in treated groups in comparison with the control group. Total globulins and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly increased for ginger and thyme groups in comparing with control group meanwhile total proteins and albumin recorded non-significant change, GOT increased in ginger group but not in thyme one. Thyme and ginger decreased triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) even though high density lipoproteins (HDL) showed no significant change in either group. Thyme decreased serum urea and Creatinine meanwhile ginger increased serum Creatinine with no significant change of urea. On the other hand Thyme significantly decreases production of serum Interleukin 6 (IL-6) in mice while ginger increased its level in serum. The present study concluded that either thyme or ginger have positive effect on some biochemical and immunological parameters in addition to their effect on growth performance however they have negative effect on others, as this is the first recorded increase of ALP with the two herbs so the using of the herbs must under restriction.