Effect of Graded Levels of Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) Powder on Serum Lipid Profile in Broiler Chickens

Abstract

Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.), a medicinal herb belonging to the family Lamiaceae, is rich in biologically active constituents such as menthol, menthone, menthofuran, and various monoterpenes. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of graded levels of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) powder supplementation on serum lipid profile parameters in broiler chickens. A total of 200-day-old Cobb-430Y broiler chicks were randomly allocated into five dietary treatments following a Randomized Block Design (RBD), with five replicates per treatment and eight birds per replicate. Initial body weight was considered as the blocking factor to minimize variation among experimental units. The dietary treatments consisted of T1 (control), T2 (5 g/kg), T3 (10 g/kg), T4 (15 g/kg), and T5 (20 g/kg peppermint powder). The experiment was conducted for 42 days under subtropical conditions. Serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides were analyzed at the end of the trial. Peppermint supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) reduced total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations compared to the control group. The lowest total cholesterol (143.87 mg/dL) and triglycerides (94.21 mg/dL) were observed at 10 g/kg inclusion level, whereas HDL cholesterol was highest at 20 g/kg supplementation. The response pattern across treatments indicated a non-linear trend, suggesting an optimal inclusion level rather than a strictly dose-dependent effect. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of peppermint powder at 10 g/kg feed improved serum lipid profile parameters in broiler chickens. These findings suggest that peppermint powder may serve as a potential phytogenic feed additive for modulating lipid metabolism under subtropical production conditions.