fat, small intestine, caeca, bursa of Fabricius, spleen and small intestine when compared to the control broiler chickens at d 21 and 43 of age (Data have not shown).
3.3. Antioxidant enzymes status
The effects of POP supplementation in broiler chicken diet on antioxidant status are given in Table 3. There were no significant differences among dietary treatments in liver SOD and GSH-Px activities, while activity of CAT had a quadratic (Po0.05) response to supplementation of POP in the diet. Erythrocyte GSH-Px activity was linearly increased (Po0.05) in broiler chickens fed with diets supplemented by POP supplementation. No dietary treatment effect (P40.05) was
observed in relation to erythrocyte SOD activity, however, the broiler chickens given 0.50% POP in diet had numerically greater erythrocyte SOD activity than other broiler chickens. There were no differences between dietary treatments in the TAC, however liver and serum MDA concentrations was linearly decreased (Po0.05) by POP supplementation. Also, broiler chickens fed on diets containing 0.75 or 1.00% of POP had numerically greater TAC concentration.
3.4. Blood indices No dietary treatment effect (P40.05) was observed in relation to serum concentrations of glucose, total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and haematocrit percentage at d 43 (Table 4). Serum concentration of triglycerides was linearly greater (Po0.05) in broiler chickens receiving POP supplemented diets than control broiler chickens. Haemoglobin concentration was numerically greater in broiler chickens fed with diet containing 1.00% purslane at d 43 and it tended to be significant (P¼0.06).
3.5. Ileal bacterial populations
There was significant difference (Po0.05) among dietary treatments in the ileal bacterial populations (Table 4). Adding POP to broiler chickens diets increased (Po0.05) Lactobacillus quantities linearly. The E. coli quantities in broiler chickens receiving 0 POP in those diets decreased (Po0.05) with a quadratic pattern.