The Effect of Curcumin Supplementation in Escherichia coli–Infected Broiler Chickens on Haematological Indices

Abstract

The purpose of this research work was to determine the effect of curcumin on the hematological values of broilers chicken affected by Escherichia coli. There were a total of ninety broiler chickens which were randomly subdivided into six experimental groups. Group I was the control group, which was not infected with E. coli, Group II was the E. coli-infected group, Group III and Group IV were the groups to which the curcumin supplement was applied to prevent and cure E. coli infection at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of feed, respectively, Group V was treated with the antibiotic cephalexin and Group VI was the group that was treated with curcumin alone as a measure of its inherent effect. The E. coli-infested groups differed significantly with the control groups in the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), total erythrocyte count (TEC), and total leukocyte count (TLC). This curcumin supplementation was also observed to overcome these changes in hematology and therefore proved effective protection of curcumin against the effects of E. coli infection on blood homeostasis. This paper suggests that curcumin would make a good natural substitute of antibiotics in poultry to enhance immune system and the overall health.