Impact of amla and shatavari supplementation on broiler meat quality: A nutritional analysis

This study investigated the effects of Amla (Emblica officinalis) and Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) supplementation on broiler meat quality. The poultry industry’s pursuit of excellence in animal nutrition is fundamentally about improving the end product-the quality of the meat that reaches consumers’ tables. Among the plethora of natural additives available, Amla and Shatavari stand out due to their historical use in traditional medicine and their scientifically supported health-promoting properties. The findings suggest that these herbal powders offer potential benefits for both broiler performance and meat composition. The key findings included improved growth performance, with supplementation resulting in significant improvements in body weight gain and the feed conversion ratio compared to those of the control group. The study also revealed an increase in crude protein content in both the breast and thigh meat of broilers fed the supplements. Increased liver and gizzard weights in the supplemented groups suggest potential benefits for digestion and nutrient utilization, although further research is needed. This research not only contributes to the scientific understanding of herbal supplementation in animal diets but also addresses a growing consumer demand for naturally produced and healthy meat products. As the global population continues to rise, and with the demand for protein sources, the findings of this study could have significant implications for sustainable and ethical poultry production practices.

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Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR): T0 (Control) vs T1 (0.5% SRP) vs T2 (1.0% SRP) vs T3 (0.5% AP) vs T4 (1.0% AP)Close ×

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Liver and Gizzard: T0 vs T1 vs T2 vs T3 vs T4Close ×

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Introduction

The poultry industry's pursuit of excellence in animal nutrition is not merely a matter of enhancing growth metrics or health indices; it is fundamentally about improving the end product-the quality of the meat that reaches consumers' tables. In this context, the role of herbal supplements in broiler diets has emerged as a subject of considerable interest. Among the plethora of natural additives available, Amla (Emblica officinalis) and Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) stand out due to their historical use in traditional medicine and their scientifically backed health-promoting properties. Amla, the Indian gooseberry, is a veritable powerhouse of nutrients, most notably vitamin C. Its high antioxidant content not only beneficial for the immune systems but also plays a crucial role in meat preservation and quality. Antioxidants in the diet have been linked to reductions in oxidative stress, which can otherwise lead to cellular damage and a decrease in meat quality Gaikwad, S., et al. (2014) [6] . Furthermore, the potential of Amla to enhance the flavour profile and extend the shelf life of broiler meat makes it an attractive supplement from a commercial standpoint. Shatavari, which is revered in Ayurvedic tradition for its nourishing properties, is believed to confer a range of benefits when included in broiler diets. Its adaptogenic qualities help in modulating stress responses, potentially leading to more consistent growth rates and better feed conversion ratios. Moreover, its immunomodulatory effects could contribute to healthier flocks and, by extension, a higher quality of meat characterized by improved texture and taste Verma, A., et al. (2023) [19] . This study aimed to rigorously evaluate the impact of these herbal supplements on the quality of broiler meat. By conducting a detailed nutritional analysis, we sought to ascertain whether the inclusion of Amla and Shatavari in the diet can lead to measurable improvements in meat quality parameters such as tenderness, juiciness, and flavour.

Additionally, we will explore the potential of these supplements to act as natural growth promoters and health enhancers, thereby reducing the reliance on synthetic additives in poultry farming. In doing so, this research not only contributes to the scientific understanding of herbal supplementation in animal diets but also addresses a growing consumer demand for naturally produced and healthful meat products. As the global population continues to rise, and with it the demand for protein sources, the findings of this study could have significant implications for sustainable and ethical poultry production practices.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted at the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying's Experimental Poultry Farm at Chandra Shekhar Azad University, Kanpur, from November 25, 2022, to January 7, 2023. This study evaluated the effects of Amla (Emblica officinalis) and Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) supplementation on broiler meat quality.

Experimental Setup: A total of 288 Vencobb-400 broiler chicks were randomly allocated into eight groups (T0 -T7) to receive varying levels of Amla and Shatavari powders as shown in (Table 1.). The chicks were reared under a deep litter system and fed diets according to BIS standards. Basal Ration + 0.75% SRP + 0.75% Amla Powder

Treatments	Particular
T0	Basal Ration (Control)
T1	Basal Ration + 0.50% Shatavari Root Powder (SRP)
T2	Basal Ration + 1.00% SRP
T3	Basal Ration + 0.50% Amla Powder
T4	Basal Ration + 1.00% Amla Powder
T5	Basal Ration + 0.25% SRP + 0.25% Amla Powder
T6	Basal Ration + 0.50% SRP + 0.50% Amla Powder
T7	Basal Ration + 0.75% SRP + 0.75% Amla Powder

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Dietary Treatments Details

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Dietary treatments:

The dietary treatments included a control group (T0) without supplementation and groups T1 -T7 with incremental levels of Amla and Shatavari powders. The composition and nutrient content of the feed were analysed, and the diets were prepared weekly.

Management Practices: Standard management practices were followed, including vaccination against common diseases. Growth performance, feed consumption, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded weekly. Nutrient utilization was assessed through a nutrient retention trial conducted during the final week.

Statistical Analysis:

The data were analysed using a completely randomized design (CRD), with the means and standard errors computed according to Snedecor and Cochran (1994) [16] . The significant differences between treatment groups were determined using Duncan's multiple range test (DMRT).

Results and Discussion

This study investigated the impact of Amla (Emblica officinalis) and Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) supplementation on the quality of broiler meat. The trial involved 288-day-old commercial broiler chicks, which were randomly divided into eight groups, to assess the effects of these herbal supplements on growth performance, carcass traits, and economic viability over six weeks.

Growth performance

The inclusion of Amla and Shatavari powders in the broiler diets had a positive impact on growth performance as shown in Table 2 and Fig. 1. The birds in the supplemented groups exhibited significant improvements in body weight gain and feed conversion ratios compared to those in the control group. The T6 group, which received a combination of both supplements, showed the highest body weight gain. The overall (I-VI week) mean body weight gains of the broilers were 2234, 2283, 2300, 2296, 2304, 2324, 2409 and 2362 g in the T0 -T7 groups, respectively. The overall body weight gains at the end of 6 weeks of age were significantly greater in all the groups than in the control group. A maximum body weight gain of 2409 g was observed for T6 where all the supplements (SRP + AP) were added to the basal diet followed by T7 (2362), T5 (2324), T4 (2304), T2 (2300), T4 (2296), T1 (2283) and T0 (2234). A minimum body weight gain of 2234 g was observed in broilers in the T0 group. However, a clear trend in the increase in BW of broiler birds was observed between the herbal treatment group and the control groups over the experimental period with the control group showing the lowest increase and the T6 group showing the greatest increase in body weight. Rekhate et al. (2004) [14] , Bhardwaj et al., (2008) [1] , Kumari et al., (2012) [11] and Javed et al., (2008) [8] reported that body weight gain was found to be better with Shatavari supplementation. Research findings revealed a significant increase in body weight in commercial broilers fed E. Officinalis powder (Daisy et al. 2007 and Patel et al. 2016) [3,13] . The overall (I -VI week) mean values for feed intake of broilers were 4292, 4039, 4060, 4051, 4065, 4063, 3988 and 4088 g in the T0 to T7 groups respectively. The overall feed intake at the end of 6 th week of age showed significantly lower values in all the groups as compared to the control groups. The maximum feed intake of 4292 g was observed for the T0 control group and the minimum feed intake of 3988 g was observed in broilers of the T6 group where 0.50% SRP + 0.50% AP was added to the diet. Similar differences in feed consumption as above were also reported by Gujral et al., (2002) [7] , Wadhwa et al., (2007) [20] , and Bisht et al., (2005) [2] , who supplemented amla powder in broiler ration. The mean values of the feed conversion ratio as influenced by supplementing different levels of Shatavari and amla powder in broilers from the first to sixth week of age. The overall (I -VI week) mean values for the feed conversion ratio of broilers were 1.77, 1.64, 1.64, 1.64, 1.65, 1.63, 1.54 and 1.60 in the T0 to T7 groups, respectively. The overall feed conversion ratio at the end of 6 weeks of age showed significantly (p˂0.5) lower values in all the groups as compared to control groups. The minimum feed conversion ratio of 1.54 was observed in broilers of the T6 group where all the supplements (SRP 0.50% + 0.50% AP) were added to the basal diet. The effects of feed supplements on the dressed yield of broilers have been presented in Table 2. The average values of dressed yield without giblets of different groups of broilers viz., T0 to T7 were 70.12, 71.16, 72.38, 71.86, 72.00, 72.33, 73.05 and 72.56 percent in broilers of T0 to T7 groups, respectively. Maximum 73.05 dressed yield without giblets was found in the T6 group followed by T7 (72.56), T5 (72.33), T2 (72.03), T4 (72.00), T3 (71.86), T1 (71.16) and T0 (70.12) of broilers. All the broilers of feed supplemented showed significantly (p˂0.05) higher dressed yield compared to the T0 groups. Minimum dressed yield without giblets was observed for the T0 (control) group. Results of the present study on carcass yield were in tune with the findings of Kabir et al. (2004) [9] and Swain et al. (2012) [17] who reported significantly (p<0.05) higher carcass yield of broilers fed diet supplemented with probiotics as compared to control.

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Broiler Growth Performance

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Treatments	Body Weight Gain (g)	Feed Intake (g)	Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR)	Dressing Percentage (%)
T0 (Control)	2234	4292	1.77	70.12
T1 (0.5% SRP)	2283	4039	1.64	71.16
T2 (1.0% SRP)	2300	4060	1.64	72.38
T3 (0.5% AP)	2296	4051	1.64	71.86
T4 (1.0% AP)	2304	4065	1.65	72.00
T5 (0.25% SRP + 0.25% AP)	2324	4063	1.63	72.33
T6 (0.50% SRP + 0.50% AP)	2409	3988	1.54	73.05
T7 (0.75% SRP + 0.75% AP)	2362	4088	1.60	72.56

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Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Shatavari Root Powder (SRP) and Amla Powder (AP) on Broiler Growth Performance

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Carcass Characteristics

The carcass yield and organ weights did not show significant differences across the treatment groups, suggesting that the supplements did not adversely affect these parameters presented in Table 3 and Fig. 2. This aligns with the findings of Khaksefidi and Rahimi (2005) [10] , who observed an increase in the protein content of thigh meat of broilers fed a diet supplemented with probiotics. Liver Weight: Liver weight significantly increased in the supplemented groups. The T6 group showed the highest liver weight (2.71% of live weight). Potential benefits of the supplements for liver health.

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Organ weight (% of dressed wt. of Broiler chicks)

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Treatments	Liver	Gizzard	Heart
T0	2.25g	2.10h	0.47e
T1	2.36f	2.27g	0.50d
T2	2.37ef	2.31f	0.51cd
T3	2.39e	2.38e	0.53bc
T4	2.43d	2.40d	0.55a
T5	2.54c	2.46c	0.50d
T6	2.71a	2.57a	0.56a
T7	2.67b	2.52b	0.54ab

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Effect of feeding Shatavari root powder and Amla Powder on Organ weight (% of dressed wt. of Broiler chicks)

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Gizzard Weight: Gizzard weights were significantly higher in the supplemented groups. The T6 group had the maximum gizzard weight (2.57% of the live weight). Improved digestion and nutrient utilisation.

Heart Weight: No adverse effects on heart weight. The T6 group also exhibited the highest heart weight (0.56% of live weight).

Meat Quality

The study investigated the effect of feeding broilers (chickens raised for meat) with Shatavari root powder and Amla powder on the composition of their meat presented in Table 4 and Fig. 3. Supplementation with Shatavari root powder and Amla powder significantly increased crude protein content in both breast and thigh meat (p<0.05) compared to the control group. The greatest increase was observed in the T6 group for both breast (23.31%) and thigh meat (23.09%) (Table 4). Moisture content remained relatively unchanged in breast meat across treatments. In contrast, thigh meat from broilers fed the powders showed a significant decrease in moisture content (p<0.05) compared to the control group. There were no significant differences in ether extract (fat) content in breast meat, while thigh meat from the supplemented groups had a slight decrease in fat content (p<0.05) compared to the control. Similarly, total ash content was not significantly affected by the treatments in breast meat, but thigh meat from broilers fed the powders showed a slight increase in ash content (p<0.05) compared to the control group (Table 4).

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Proximate Composition (%) of Breast Meat

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Meat Type	Treatment	Moisture	Crude Protein	Ether Extract	Total Ash
Breast	T0	74.56	21.59	2.43	1.42
	T1	73.83	22.33	2.39	1.45
	T2	73.76	22.42	2.36	1.46
	T3	73.8	22.39	2.37	1.44
	T4	73.74	22.46	2.34	1.46
	T5	73.52	22.71	2.32	1.45
	T6	72.93	23.31	2.29	1.47
	T7	73.11	23.13	2.3	1.46
Thigh	T0	72.16	20.04	6.36	1.44
	T1	70.86	21.41	6.27	1.46
	T2	70.82	21.46	6.25	1.47
	T3	70.88	21.41	6.26	1.45
	T4	70.73	21.55	6.24	1.48
	T5	70.11	22.2	6.21	1.48
	T6	69.23	23.09	6.17	1.51
	T7	69.46	22.86	6.19	1.49

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Average Proximate Composition (%) of Breast and Thigh Meat from Broilers Fed Different Treatments

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The results of the present experiment were supported by the findings of Khaksefidi and Rahimi (2005) [10] who observed a significant (p˂0.05) increase in the protein content of thigh meat of broilers fed diet supplemented with probiotics. Values of carcass parameters depicted non-significant changes except some noticeable decline in abdominal fat % due to supplementation of herbal Vitamin-C (Dhore et al. 2014) [4] . Pardue et al., (1985) [12] reported that no significant influence of ascorbic acid supplementation on carcass characteristics of birds. The study suggests that broilers fed with growth promoters (SRP and AP) had a lower FCR (feed consumed per kg live weight gain) compared to the control group. This translates to needing less feed to achieve the same weight gain, which can lead to significant cost savings for farmers. This finding aligns with research by Rout & Samanta (2014) [15] who observed improved FCR in broilers fed herbal growth promoters.

Increased Live Body Weight (LBW):

Birds fed with growth promoters generally had a higher LBW at the end of the study compared to the control group. This translates to potentially higher income from selling the birds at market weight. Similar results were reported by Teixeira et al. (2009) [18] who found that broilers fed probiotics and organic acids achieved higher body weight compared to the control group. 3. Increased Profit: Most treatment groups showed a higher net profit per bird compared to the control group due to improved FCR and potentially higher LBW. The T6 group, fed with a mixture of SRP and AP, showed the highest net profit (Rs. 91.44), which is 27.29% more than the control group.

Conclusion

This study investigated the impact of Amla (Emblica officinalis) and Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) supplementation on broiler meat quality. The findings suggest that these herbal powders offer potential benefits for both

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Proximate Composition (%) of Thigh Meat

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