The overuse of antibiotics in poultry production has intensified the studies for plant-derived antioxidants that can sustain productive performance while improving product quality and bird health status. Chive (Allium schoenoprasum) bulbs are sources of quercetin and sulfur compounds with documented immunomodulatory effects in broiler chickens, but evidence regarding their effects in laying hens is limited. This study assessed the impact of dietary chive bulb extract (CBE) on productive performance (egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion ratio), egg quality (Haugh unit, yolk color, shell performance), serum biochemistry (lipid profile, liver enzymes, protein fractions, minerals, immunoglobulins), immune-related organs (spleen, liver) and selected visceral organ characteristics (heart, crop, jejunum, ileum, caeca, abdominal fat) in laying hens. Seventy-two 50-week-old CP Hy-Line Brown laying hens (1.91 ± 0.18 kg) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments containing 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5% CBE (dry matter basis). Each treatment consisted of three replicates with six hens per replicate. The feeding trial lasted eight weeks after a one-week adaptation period. Egg production, egg weight, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio were not affected by CBE, although feed intake increased and was highest at 1.5% CBE. Supplementation with 1.5% CBE significantly increased the Haugh unit of freshly laid eggs without altering yolk color, eggshell color, thickness, or breaking strength compared to the control group. CBE at all levels did not influence immunoglobulin concentrations, visceral organ weights, or intestinal pH and length, indicating an absence of adverse effects on health status. In contrast, CBE improved aspects of the serum lipid profile by reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) plus very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) at 1.0% inclusion and decreasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol at 1.5% inclusion. Additionally, CBE lowered alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in the 1.0% and 1.5% groups compared to the control, and elevated serum phosphate concentration in all supplemented groups relative to the control. Overall, dietary inclusion of up to 1.5% CBE in laying hens enhanced egg albumen quality and modulated some serum lipid and mineral profiles without compromising productive performance or organ integrity in laying hens.
Hải et al. (Mon,) studied this question.