This study was conducted to evaluate the e#ect of garlic (Allium sativum) meal on the intestinal mucosal morphology of broiler chickens between ,+ and ., days of age. A total of +2**, ,+ days old Ross-*2 broiler chicks were weighed and randomly allotted into *, *.+,/, *.,/, *./, + and ,ῌ dietary garlic meal groups of each +** birds. Experimental diets were formulated by addition of each level of garlic meal to commercial finisher mash diet (CP : ,*../ῌ, ME :-,+-* kcal/kg), and fed ad libitum for ,+ d. At day .,, +/ chicks from each treatment were randomly killed to obtain intestinal samples. Villus height, epithelial thickness, goblet cell numbers, crypt depth and the ratio of crypt depth to villus height in each intestinal segment were compared using a light microscope. Garlic meal as a feed additive significantly enhanced villus height and crypt depth and decreased epithelial thickness and goblet cell numbers in duodenum, jejunum and ileum of birds. Fundamentally, jejunum and ileum revealed an almost similar morphological alteration to that in the duodenum except that dietary garlic meal supplement resulted in an increase in the ratio of crypt depth to villus height in duodenum but a decrease in jejunum and ileum. In present study, small intestinal morphological changes in chickens due to dietary garlic meal supplement demonstrate that absorptive process could be activated by garlic meal as an antibiotics alternative growth promoter.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of a medical plant mixture and probiotic on performance, blood parameters, digestibility of some nutrients, and health status of suckling Holstein calves. Thirty newborn calves (1-10 days) with 42 ± 8 kg of average birth weight were used in a factorial arrangement (3 Â 2) with 6 treatments and 5 replicate. The treatments were: (1) control diet, (2) control diet þ2g probiotic per day, (3) control diet þ 1.5% medical plant, (4) control diet þ1.5% medical plant þ2g probiotic per day, (5) control diet þ 3% medical plant and (6) control diet þ3% medical plant þ2g probiotic per day. During first month, experimental factors have no effect on starter and hay intake, whereas total DMI was affected by herbal (H) effect in second month (p < .01). Calves fed on H1.5 diet had the highest starter and total DMI and calves fed on PH3 diet had the lowest value. Daily weight gain (DWG) was affected significantly by H (p < .01) whereas no effect from P was observed. Treatments had no significant effect on blood glucose, cholesterol and albumin content, whereas addition of H1.5 in starter feed increased beta-hydroxy butyric acid (BHBA) concentration in comparison to other groups (p < .05). In conclusion and based on better growth performance, it is recommended to feed H1.5 to milk suckling calves and feeding herbal additives with probiotic is not recommended. ARTICLE HISTORY

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different sources of zinc (Zn) on feed intake, milk yield, milk composition, and blood metabolites. Twenty-four dairy cows were randomly allocated to one of four treatments in a randomized complete block design. The treatments consisted of i) control diet (no zinc supplementation), ii) zinc oxide (ZnO), iii) zinc glycine (ZnGly), and iv) zinc nano (ZnN). The Zn sources were added to provide 60 mg of supplemental Zn per kg diet. There were no differences in dry matter intake, milk yield, bodyweight, and body condition score of the cows between treatments. Zinc supplementation in the form of ZnN and ZnGly decreased somatic cell count compared with the other treatments. The superoxide dismutase and plasma Zn concentrations in the cows provided ZnGly and ZnN were greater than those in the ZnO and control groups. No difference was detected between groups in biochemical and haematological parameters, except that blood urea nitrogen concentrations of cows supplemented with ZnGly and ZnN were less than for the ZnO supplemented and control cows. The results showed that nano and organic Zn sources in the diet of dairy cows were more suitable than inorganic Zn as supplements for dairy cows.

This experiment carried out as a completely randomized design with six treatments and 3 replicates pens of 100 birds each (total of 1800 birds). Treatments were consisted of a common corn-soybean meal based starter and grower diets supplemented by 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1 or 2% garlic meal. At 1-21 days of age, daily feed intake per chicks influences by dietary garlic meal level so that the birds fed diets with 0.125 and 0.25% garlic meal had a significantly higher daily feed intake (p < 0.05) than birds fed 0.5% dietary garlic meal. At 22-42 days of age and the whole experimental period (1-42 days of age), garlic meal level didn't affect daily feed intake. No significant difference recorded for daily weight gain of experimentally birds at 1-21 days of age, But at 22-42 days of age and the whole experimentally period (1-42 days of age) the birds fed the control diet (free of garlic meal) and the diet containing the highest garlic meal dosage (2%) had a significantly lower daily weight gain in compare to other birds (p < 0.05). At 1-21 days of age the birds fed diet supplemented with 0.5% garlic meal had a lower feed conversion ratio than the control birds (p < 0.05) but at 22-42 days of age and the whole experimentally period (1-42 days of age) birds fed the control diet and the diet whit 2% garlic meal supplement showed a higher feed conversion ratios in compare with birds fed diets containing 0.125, 0.5 or 1% garlic meal. No significant differences were detected in carcass percentage and interior organs between birds fed experimental diets. The weight gain reduction in birds fed 2% dietary garlic meal means that herbal additives have their limitations too and needs more investigation.

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