Introduction
Portulaca oleracea L. (Purslane) is an herbaceous
weed widely distributed throughout the world and
cultivated in some countries as Iran. The plant has been
used as a vegetable and for medical purpose for
hundreds of years. Purslane is listed in the World
Health Organization (WHO) as one of the most used
medicinal plants and it has been given the term ‘Global
Panacea’ (Lim & Quah, 2007). Purslane leaves have
been used in foods like soups, salads and pickles and
folk medicine to treat several disorders such as
hyperlipidemia (Nafisi, 1986), pain and inflammatory
disorders (Habibullah et al., 2003) and some other
urinary and topical diseases (Minaiyan et al., 2005).
The seeds of Purslane are more effective than the
herb and are of good use. Many researchers reported
that Purslane was the richest vegetable sources of
*Corresponding author: Sayeed Nouraldin Tabatabaie, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture,
Khorasgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran; Email:
[email protected] Res. Opin. Anim. Vet. Sci., 2015, 5(3): 138-142.
139
omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, similar studies have
revealed that Purslane is a rich source of nutrients like
flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin and apigenin),
vitamins A, C and E, beta-carotene, and minerals (Lim
& Quah, 2007; Dkhil et al., 2011). Zhao et al. (2013)
showed that supplementing 0.2% Purslane extract to
broiler feed improved weight gain and feed conversion
ratio. Compared with chemical drugs, medicinal herbs
have shown greater potential as alternatives due to their
beneficial effects of antimicrobial actions, as well as
their widespread antioxidant activities (Jugl Chizzola et
al., 2006). Ghorbani et al. (2014) concluded that
Purslane inclusion had a significant effect on cecal
microflora composition, but had no effect on immune
response in broiler chickens. The objective of this study
was to evaluate the effects of Purslane seeds on
performance and some haematological parameters in
broiler chicks.
Materials and Methods
This study was conducted at the broiler farm
belonged to Islamic Azad university Khorasgan
branch. A total of 350 one day old chicks with an
average weight of 39.50±50 g were divided into five
treatments and were further subdivided into five
replicates with 14 birds on each in randomized
experimental design. Compositions of diet samples
were analyzed in the laboratory to assess amount of
dry matter, crude protein, calcium, phosphorus and
crude fibre with Association of Official Analytical
Chemists (AOAC) methods (AOAC, 2000).
Experimental diets and management
The basal diet was balanced on the basis of corn
and soybean meal as recommended by National
Research council (NRC, 1994). Purslane seeds were
bought from local market and they were supplemented
into the broilers diet. The treatments were divided as
basal diet with no Purslane (control), and the
experimental groups, 250 g/100 kg (T1), 500 g/100 kg
(T2), 1000 g/100 kg (T3) and 2000 g/100 kg (T4) of
Purslane seeds were used. The composition of basal
diet is shown in Table 1. Diets and fresh water were
provided ad libitum during this experiment. The body
weight gains and feed consumption of chicks were
measured individually; feed conversion efficiency was
calculated weekly. At the end of experimental period, 2
male birds form each replicates (total 50 birds) were
slaughtered for determination of other parameters. Also
dressing percentage was calculated free from giblets
and some other organs were weighed separately as
percentage of carcass weight.
Evaluation of some blood parameters
Blood collection was carried out at the 4th week
(28 and 30 days old) of the experiment. Three birds per
treatment were randomly selected and bled via wing
veins using sterile 19 needles and syringes. About 5 ml
of blood was collected into bottles containing
ethylenediaminetetra acetic acid (EDTA). Blood
samples for serum biochemical studies were collected
into vacuumed capillary tubes in order to determine the
blood cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein
(HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. After
coagulation, blood samples were centrifuged at 2000
rpm, and then serum was collected and stored at -20°C
for later analysis. Blood cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL,
and LDL levels were determined spectro-photometrically
by using