Impact of natural biostimulants on performance, carcass characteristics, serum biochemistry, and economic...

In poultry production, biostimulants can replace antibiotics. These substances, made from plant extracts, improve animal growth and performance. This experiment was carried out to investigate the impact of biostimulants (NUQO©NEX) as a natural growth promoter on growth parameters and economic efficiency measurements. Unsexed 1 d old chicks ( $n=90$ ) of a commercial meat type (Ross 308) were randomly equally allocated into three groups of six replicates (five chicks per replicate) in this study. Group G1 fed on the control diet (without additive), while groups G2 and G3 fed on the diet supplemented with 100 mg NUQO©NEX kg^-1 (on top and (matrix value; this matrix reduced the nutrient requirement by 0.3 % crude protein and 30 kcal metabolizable energy, respectively) for 35 d. Results showed that broiler chicks of groups G2 and G3 showed a significant ( $P<0.05$ ) improvement in the average feed conversion ratio (FCR) of broiler chicks compared to the control group. Group G2 recorded the best value of FCR compared to group G3 and the control group. Cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in broiler serum were decreased ( $P<0.05$ ) in group G3 and then in group G2 when compared to the control group. Groups G2 and G3 recorded significant ( $P<0.05$ ) improvements in the antioxidant status of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and malondialdehyde (MDA) when compared to the control group. The serum level of IgM was significantly ( $P<0.05$ ) increased in group G3 and group G2 when compared to the control group. There were significant ( $P<0.05$ ) increases in total return from chick sales $/$ LE (livre égyptienne) and net profit (one chick) $/$ LE and in the economic efficiency of group G3 and group G2 when compared to the control group. Broiler chickens fed the diet supplemented with NUQO©NEX showed a positive effect in terms of the FCR, cholesterol, antioxidant status (GPx and MDA) and immune status (IgM), carcass quality traits, and economic effectiveness measurements.