Influence of dietary fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seed powder supplementation on haemato-biochemical and lipid profile of Mewari chicks

Introduction

The poultry sector is one of the fastest-growing livestock industries in India, contributing significantly to food security, rural livelihoods and the national economy. Although commercial poultry production dominates the industry, indigenous chicken breeds continue to play an important role in backyard farming due to their adaptability, disease resistance and suitability to local agro-climatic conditions (BAHS, 2025). Among these, the Mewari chicken, an indigenous germplasm of Southern Rajasthan, is valued for its hardiness and adaptation to local environmental conditions. However, limited information is available on its haematobiochemical responses to dietary interventions under intensive rearing systems. The ban on and restricted use of antibiotic growth promoters, driven by concerns over antimicrobial resistance and drug residues, have intensified the search for natural feed additives. Phytogenic feed additives, particularly medicinal herbs, have gained considerable attention owing to their antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties (Wang et al., 2024) [10] . Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), a medicinal herb belonging to the family Fabaceae, is rich in proteins, dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds such as saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids and diosgenin. These constituents improve digestion, nutrient utilization, lipid metabolism, antioxidant status, immune function and gut health, thereby enhancing poultry performance (Giridhar et al., 2023; Niknam et al., 2021) [3,6] . Previous studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of fenugreek supplementation on growth performance, feed efficiency and immunity in broiler chickens (Patel et al., 2017; Yassin et al., 2020) [8,11] . However, information regarding its influence on the haematobiochemical profile of indigenous Mewari chicks is scarce. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seed powder on haemato-biochemical attributes of Mewari chicks.

Materials and Methods Experimental Birds, Housing and Dietary Treatments

The experiment entitled "Influence of Dietary Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Seed Powder Supplementation on Haemato-Biochemical and Lipid Profile of Mewari Chicks" was conducted for 8 weeks at the Poultry Farm, Department of Animal Production, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology (MPUAT), Udaipur. A total of 208 one-day-old Mewari chicks maintained under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Poultry Breeding were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments, each comprising four replicates of 13 birds. The birds were reared under a deep litter system in pens measuring 5 × 3 × 2.5 ft and managed under uniform husbandry conditions. Feed and drinking water were provided ad libitum throughout the 56-day experimental period. The basal diet, formulated with maize, soybean deoiled cake, de-oiled rice bran, rice bran oil, dicalcium phosphate and a vitamin-mineral premix, was isonitrogenous (20% crude protein) and isocaloric (2,800 kcal ME/kg). Treatment details showed as below in table 1.

Observations Recorded Haemato-biochemical Parameters

At the end of the experiment, one bird from each replicate (four birds per treatment) was randomly selected for blood collection. Approximately 5 mL of blood was collected aseptically from the wing vein using sterile disposable syringes. Serum was separated after clotting at room temperature and stored at -20 °C until analysis.

Serum total protein was estimated by Biuret method (Zheng et al., 2017) [12] .

Statistical Analysis

The experimental data were analyzed using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) under a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) following the procedures described by Snedecor and Cochran (1994) [9] . Differences among treatment means were considered statistically significant at P < 0.05.

Results

Dietary supplementation of fenugreek seed powder significantly influenced the haemato-biochemical and lipid profile of Mewari chicks (Table 2; Fig. 1a and1b). The mean random blood sugar levels recorded in the control group (T 1 ),

Discussion

Birds supplemented with 1% fenugreek seed powder (T₂) exhibited lower blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and VLDL cholesterol concentrations, along with higher serum total protein, albumin, globulin and HDL cholesterol levels than the control group. The hypoglycaemic effect of fenugreek may be associated with bioactive constituents such as trigonelline, galactomannan and 4-hydroxyisoleucine, which are known to enhance insulin secretion and improve glucose utilization (Majumdar et al., 2025) [5] . The improvement in serum protein fractions may be attributed to enhanced protein digestion and nutrient utilization, supported by the rich nutritional composition and bioactive compounds present in fenugreek seeds. Likewise, the reduction in serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and VLDL cholesterol could be due to the action of saponins, dietary fibre and galactomannan, which decrease intestinal cholesterol absorption and promote bile acid excretion. The increase in HDL cholesterol further indicates improved lipid metabolism and physiological wellbeing of the birds (Giridhar et al., 2023) [3] . Among the supplementation levels evaluated, 1% fenugreek seed powder produced the most favourable haemato-biochemical response, whereas higher inclusion levels did not confer additional benefits. These findings are consistent with previous studies reporting the hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of fenugreek supplementation in poultry. Similar observations have been reported by Olayeni et al. (2024) [7] and Hassan et al. (2025) [4] , who also observed beneficial effects of fenugreek seed supplementation on blood biochemical parameters in poultry.

Conclusion

References

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