The effects of increasing levels of dietary garlic bulb on growth performance,

systolic blood pressure, hematology, and ascites syndrome in broiler

chickens

Saifali Varmaghany,∗, † Mohammad Amir Karimi Torshizi,∗,1 Shaban Rahimi,∗ Houshang Lotfollahian,‡
and Mohammad Hassanzadeh#
∗
Department of Poultry Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; † Department
of Animal Science, Ilam Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Centre, Ilam, Iran;
‡
Department of Nutrition, Animal Science Researches Institute, Karaj, Iran; and # Department of Poultry
Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

ABSTRACT The effects of dietary garlic bulb were
studied separately on hematological parameters, ascites
incidence, and growth performance of an ascites sus-
ceptible broiler hybrid under both standard temper-
ature conditions (STC) and cold temperature condi-
tions (CTC). A total of 336 one-day-old male broiler
chickens were allocated to 4 experimental groups with
4 replicates of 21 birds each under STC. In addition,
the same grouping with another 336 birds was used for
CTC. Under CTC, the birds were exposed to cold tem-
peratures for induction of ascites. Experimental groups
were defined by the inclusion of 0 (control), 5, 10 or
15 g/kg garlic bulbs in the diets under both STC and
CTC. Growth performance, systolic blood pressure (as
a measure of systemic arterial blood pressure), phys-
iological and biochemical parameters, as well as as-
cites indices (right ventricle [RV], total ventricle [TV]
weights, and RV/TV) were evaluated. Systolic blood
pressure was determined using an indirect method with
a sphygmomanometer, a pediatric cuff, and a Doppler
device. The final body weight decreased quadratically
Key words: ascites, garlic bulbs, systolic blood pressure, hematological parameters, broiler performance
(P = 0.003), with increasing garlic bulb levels in the
diets under STC. The feed conversion ratio showed
no significant differences among all groups under both
STC and CTC. No significant differences were ob-
served in total mortality and ascites-related mortality
in all groups under STC, although total mortality (L:
P = 0.01; Q: P = 0.001) and ascites-related mortality
(L: P = 0.007; Q: P = 0.001) were significantly different
among the diets under CTC. Under STC, the systolic
blood pressure, packed cell volume, hemoglobin, RV,
TV, and RV/TV did not vary significantly among the
diets. However, red blood cell count and erythrocyte
osmotic fragility decreased linearly (P < 0.005) with
increasing garlic bulb levels in the diets under STC.
Under CTC, the systolic blood pressure, packed cell
volume, red blood cell count, and erythrocyte osmotic
fragility decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing garlic lev-
els. It is concluded that the inclusion of 5 g/kg garlic
bulb in susceptible broiler chicken diets has a systemic
anti-hypertensive effect and could decrease ascites inci-
dence without impairing broiler chicken performance.
2015 Poultry Science 94:1812–1820
http://dx.doi.org/10.3382/ps/pev148

INTRODUCTION day at only 37 days of age (Shariatmadari, 2012). These

Genetic and nutritional improvements have in-
creased the growth rate and decreased the feed con-
version ratio of modern commercial broiler chickens
(Baghbanzadeh and Decuypere, 2008; Hassanzadeh,
2010). This resulted in a situation where, by the 1950s,
a live body weight of commercial broiler chickens of
3 kg at 14 weeks of age was attained (Havenstein et al.,
1994). The same live body weight can be achieved to-

C 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.
Received January 6, 2015.
Accepted April 4, 2015.
1
Corresponding author: karimitm@modares.ac.ir
1812
developments however make broilers highly suscepti-
ble to metabolic disorders (Julian, 1993, 2005; Tona
et al., 2005). Ascites syndrome is one of the most im-
portant metabolic disorders in modern broiler chickens
(Druyan et al., 2009; Gupta, 2011) worldwide (Wide-
man et al., 2013) and results in mortality rates of
up to 8% in broiler flocks (and 20 to 30% in heavy
flocks) (Pakdel et al., 2002). The highest incidence of
ascites syndrome has been observed in fast growing
birds (Arce-Menocal et al., 2009). Under normal con-
ditions, Tona et al. (2005) reported that nearly 50%
of noninfectious mortality was due to ascites in broiler
chickens. The peak of ascites-related mortality occurs
at the end of the growing period, which is very im-
portant in terms of economic losses (Tona et al., 2005;
 DIETARY HYPOTESION INDUCED BY GARLIC CONTROLS THE BROILERS’ ASCITES
Hassanzadeh, 2009). This syndrome is caused by the
imbalance between oxygen delivery and oxygen de-
mands, resulting in hypoxemia (Baghbanzadeh and
Decuypere, 2008; Druyan et al., 2009; Hassanzadeh,
2009, 2010). Hypoxemia increases pulmonary arterial
pressure (PAP) and consequently causes hypertrophy
of the RV (Julian, 1993; Wideman et al., 2010). Whilst
this increase in PAP is well established in ascites sus-
ceptible broilers (Wideman et al., 2010; Wideman and
Tackett, 2000), an increase in mean systemic arterial
pressure (MAP) has been reported in cool tempera-
ture stresses broilers (Wideman and Tackett, 2000). We
investigate here the potential role of systolic blood pres-
sure reduction using a herbal anti-hypertensive (garlic)
for control of broilers ascites.
Genetic, physiological, environmental, and nutri-
tional factors affect the incidence of ascites syndrome
(Balog et al., 2003; Gupta, 2011). Environmental fac-
tors such as cold temperatures increase metabolic activ-
ity and thus oxygen demands. High oxygen demand in
turn increases the incidence of ascites. Ascites-related
mortality is caused by pulmonary hypertension; there-
fore, any factor that reduces blood pressure, especially
PAP, may help to control ascites (Wideman, 2000,
2001; Wideman et al., 2010). Nutritional approaches
can be used as tools to reduce ascites-related mortality
(Baghbanzadeh and Decuypere, 2008; Rajani et al.,
2011). The possible effect of lowering systemic arterial
blood pressure, measured by systolic blood pressure,
in the control of broilers ascites is not clear.
Garlic has been used as a medicinal plant for more
than 4000 years (Corzo-Matinez et al., 2007). A close
relationship has been shown in epidemiological, clini-
cal, and preclinical studies between feeding habits, in-
cluding garlic intake, and the incidence of cardiovas-
cular diseases in humans (Amagase et al., 2001; Bozin
et al., 2008). The anti-hypertensive, antimicrobial, and
antioxidant properties of garlic in human and animal
studies (Chen et al., 2008) together with its positive
effect on several cardiovascular risk factors have been
confirmed (Rana et al., 2011). The aqueous extract of
garlic has MAP anti-hypertensive effects in mammalian
species (Al-Qattan et al., 1999).
The use of regular garlic (Allium sativum) and wild
garlic (Allium ursinum) in rat diets significantly de-
creases systolic blood pressure compared to a control
group (Preuss et al., 2001). Garlic powder has consid-
erable effects on the production performance of broiler
chickens (Pourali et al., 2010). The use of garlic as a feed
additive in broiler diets has been shown to improve feed
conversion ratios and to reduce mortality (Tollba and
Hassan, 2003) in contrast to other studies showing that
garlic paste had no effect on feed intake, body weight
gain, or feed efficiency in broiler chickens (Horton et al.,
1991; Choi et al., 2010).
Several reports have documented that garlic reduces
blood pressure in humans and experimental animals
such as rats and dogs (Khalid, 2001; Preuss et al.,
2001; Rivlin, 2001; Elkayam et al., 2003; Williams et al.,
1813
2004), but the effects of garlic on systolic blood pressure
in broiler chickens remains unknown.
Up to now, no studies have reported the effects of
garlic bulb on systolic blood pressure and ascites inci-
dence in broiler chickens. Therefore, the present study
was conducted to provide clear insights regarding the
effects of the inclusion of increasing levels of garlic bulb
in the diet on systolic blood pressure, ascites incidence,
hematological parameters, and growth performance in
broiler chickens reared under both standard and cold-
temperature conditions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Garlic Bulb
Garlic bulbs (Allium sativum) including cloves and
hulls, were obtained from a garlic farm (Hamedan
province, Iran) and were kept in the dark at room tem-
perature to use as fed in broiler diets. Garlic bulb was
ground with corn and soybean meal by a hammer mill.
The chemical composition of garlic bulb was determined
for dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, starch,
ash, calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals (K, Na,
Cl, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn) based on the Association
of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 1990) meth-
ods with codes: 934.01, 976.05, 920.39, 920.40, 942.05,
935.13, 965.17 and 968.08, respectively. Total phenolics
and tannin concentrations in the garlic bulb were mea-
sured by Folin-Ciocateu reagent (Terrill et al., 1992).
Birds and Housing
This research was conducted using 2 separate ex-
periments. The experimental protocols were approved
by the Animal Care Committee of Tarbiat Modares
University (Tehran, Iran). Experiments were conducted
based on the Arian strain management guide (Corpora-
tion Support of Animal Affairs, 2008) under both STC
and CTC. Under STC, a total of 336 one-day-old male
broiler chickens (Arian 386, from a local hatchery in
Babolkenar, Iran) were allocated to 4 experimental di-
ets with 4 replicates of 21 birds each. Treatments con-
sisted of the inclusion of the garlic bulb (cloves and
hulls) at levels of 0 g/kg (GB0), 5 g/kg (GB5), 10 g/kg
(GB10), or 15 g/kg (GB15) based on DM in diets. Al-
though the birds under CTC were subjected to a cold
temperature stress (induced ascites) schedule, the num-
ber of birds, treatments, and replications were similar
to those under STC. The inclusion of amounts of 5, 10,
or 15 g/kg garlic bulb in diets based on DM were equiv-
alent to the amounts 10.7, 21.4 or 32.1 g/kg garlic bulb
as fed.
Diets were formulated to meet the nutrient require-
ments of broiler chickens based on the recommenda-
tions of Arian breeders (Arian broiler chicken manage-
ment guide; Corporation Support of Animal Affairs,
2008). Feed (as mash) and water were offered ad libitum
throughout the studies. Ingredients and composition of
1814 VARMAGHANY ET AL.

Table 1. Ingredient composition and calculated analysis of diets (g/kg, as fed basis).

Ingredients (g/kg) Starter (1–14 day of age) Grower (15–28 day of age) Finisher (29–42 day of age)
GB01 GB5 GB10 GB15 GB0 GB5 GB10 GB15 GB0 GB5 GB10 GB15
Corn grain 550.2 546.1 541.8 537.5 499.6 499.7 499.8 499.7 509.3 505.0 500.8 497.0
Soybean meal (44%) 384.9 384.1 383.5 383.0 339.8 339.5 339.3 338.9 276.6 275.9 275.3 274.2
Wheat grain 0 0 0 0 94.7 90.2 85.7 81.3 150.0 150.0 150.0 150.0
Vegetable oil 19.8 19.7 19.6 19.5 25.3 25.1 24.8 24.6 24.1 24.0 23.8 23.7
Oyster shell (ground) 12.2 12.1 12.1 12.0 11.5 11.4 11.3 11.3 11.8 11.7 11.7 11.6
Dicalcium phosphate 19.3 19.3 19.3 19.3 16.4 16.4 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.6 16.6 16.6
Garlic bulb 0 5.0 10.0 15.0 0 5.0 10.0 15.0 0 5.0 10.0 15.0
NaCl 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2
Premix2 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0
DL-Methionine 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1
Lysine 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1
Anticoccidial (Salinomycin) 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Total (g) 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000
Calculated values3 (as fed basis)
Metabolizable energy (Kcal/kg) 2850 2850 2850 2850 2920 2920 2920 2920 2970 2970 2970 2970
Crude protein (g/kg) 220.5 220.5 220.5 220.5 207 207 207 207 186 186 186 186
Ca (g/kg) 10.1 10.1 10.1 10.1 9.1 9.1 9.1 9.1 9.1 9.1 9.1 9.1
Available phosphorus (g/kg) 5 5 5 5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5
Na (g/kg) 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
Methionine (g/kg) 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8
Methionine + Cystine (g/kg) 9.3 9.3 9.3 9.3 8.8 8.8 8.8 8.8 7.8 7.8 7.8 7.8
Lysine (g/kg) 12.7 12.7 12.7 12.7 11.6 11.6 11.6 11.6 10 10 10 10
1
GB0, GB5, GB10, and GB15 diets contained 0 (control) 5, 10, or 15 g garlic/kg DM, respectively.
2
Supplied per kg diet: Vit. A, 7040 IU; Vit. D3 , 2000 IU; Vit. E, 8.8 IU; Vit. K3 , 1.76 mg; Biotin, 0.12 mg; Thiamine, 1.2 mg; Riboflavin,
3.2 mg; Pantothenic acid, 6.4 mg; Pyridoxine, 1.97 mg; Niacin, 28 mg; Vit. B12, 0.008 mg; Choline, 320 mg; Folic acid, 0.38 mg; Mn, 60 mg;
Fe, 60 mg; Zn, 51.74 mg; Cu, 4.8 mg; I, 0.69 mg; Se, 0.16 mg.
3
The values were calculated from NRC (1994).

the starter (1 to 14 days of age), grower (15 to 28 days of
age), and finisher (29 to 42 days of age) diets are shown
in Table 1. Under STC, the initial 32◦ C room temper-
ature was gradually reduced to 24◦ C by the third week
and remained constant until the end of the experiment.
Under CTC, cold stress was used to trigger ascites and
the broilers were exposed to a temperature of 32◦ C at
one-day-old, with stepwise reductions to 25◦ C ± 1◦ C,
20◦ C ± 1◦ C and 15◦ C ± 1◦ C on days 7, 14, and 21, re-
spectively. At this point, a temperature of 15◦ C ± 1◦ C
was maintained until the end of the experiment (Luger
et al., 2001). The initial lighting program was 24 h light
and 0 h darkness until the broilers were 3-day-old, fol-
lowed by 23 h light and 1 h darkness to the end of both
experiments.
Measurement of Mortality and Performance
The birds were monitored 4 times daily for total mor-
tality and ascites-related mortality. The criteria for di-
agnosis of ascites syndrome were water belly and RV
and TV weights. The RV and TV weights were deter-
mined in order to calculate the RV/TV weight ratio in
the dead broilers. Feed intake and body weight were
measured weekly and cumulatively. Calculations were
made for feed body weight gain, conversion ratio, and
the total and ascites-related mortality rates.
Systolic Blood Pressure
At the end of each experiment, 2 conscious birds
per pen (8 birds per treatment) were randomly se-
lected, and systolic blood pressure was measured on the
brachial artery. Systolic blood pressure was determined
using an indirect method with a sphygmomanometer
(Riester, no. 1440 Babyphon, Jungingen, Germany), a
pediatric cuff (Reister, Nylon-Velcyro, infant circumfer-
ence 5 to 7.5 cm), ultrasound transmission gel (Shafa-
sonic, Tehran, Iran), and a Pocket Doppler Model 841-A
(Park Medical Electronics Inc., NV) device equipped
with a 8.2 MHz probe (Lichtenberger, 2005). Briefly,
the birds were placed in a dorsal recumbent position
on a table. The cuff was snugly wrapped around the
distal humerus and was secured. The ultrasound gel
was placed on the probe and around the elbow joint.
Thereafter the probe was placed on the articulation of
the distal humerus with the proximal ulna and radius.
The bird was allowed a couple of minutes to acclimatize
to the experimental environment. The cuff bladder was
inflated to 300 mm Hg to cause cessation of blood flow,
and then slowly deflated (about 2 to 5 mm Hg/s) un-
til the first pulsatile sound was heard from the Pocket
Doppler device. The pressure on the sphygmomanome-
ter was recorded as the systolic blood pressure at the
end of experiments (Varmaghany et al., 2013).
Hematological Parameters
The blood samples from 3 birds per pen (12 birds
per group) were randomly taken from a wing vein at
the end of the experiments at 42 days of age. Packed
cell volume was determined in whole blood samples
by centrifugation of microhematocrit capillary tubes
at 15,500 × g for 5 min (Jain, 1986). Red blood cells
 DIETARY HYPOTESION INDUCED BY GARLIC CONTROLS THE BROILERS’ ASCITES
were counted in a hemocytometer chamber using Natt
and Herrick’s solution to obtain a 1 to 200 blood di-
lution (Maxwell et al., 1986). The concentration of
hemoglobin was determined based on the cyanmethe-
moglobin method using a commercial kit (ZiestChem,
Tehran, Iran). Erythrocyte osmotic fragility was de-
termined in whole blood samples as a criterion of red
blood cells membrane fluidity by Dacie’s method (Buf-
fenstein et al., 2001), with some modifications using
a microplate reader (Awareness Technology Inc., Stat
Fax 3200, FL).
Plasma was prepared by centrifugation (1,000 × g
for 20 min) and was stored at −20◦ C until analysis
(Tankson et al., 2002). Plasma triiodothyronine (T3 )
and thyroxine (T4 ) concentrations were analyzed by
ELISA (Pishtaz Teb, Tehran, Iran).
Ascites-Related Parameters
Postmortem examinations were performed on all
dead chickens during the experiments to diagnose
ascites. Moreover, on day 42, a total of 40 birds
per treatment (10 birds per pen) were randomly se-
lected, euthanized, and used for RV/TV determination.
Ascites-related mortality was diagnosed when accu-
mulation of abdominal or pericardial fluid was ob-
served, and the weight ratio of RV to TV (RV/TV)
was higher than 0.29 (Julian et al., 1987; Julian, 2005).
To calculate the RV/TV, the hearts were collected,
and the pericardium, peripheral adipose tissues, and
atria were trimmed. The left ventricle and RV were
separated and their individual weights were measured
on an analytical balance (Scaltec SBA41, Germany;
precision 10−3 g), and the RV/TV was calculated
(Julian, 2005).
Statistical Analysis
The pen was used as the experimental unit, and a
one-way analysis of variance was performed using the
GLM procedure with SAS software (SAS, 1990) in a
completely randomized design. The means were com-
pared by Duncan’s multiple range test (P ≤ 0.05).
Polynomial orthogonal contrasts were carried out for
garlic bulb levels to investigate linear and quadratic
trends.
RESULTS
Chemical Composition of Garlic Bulbs
The results indicated that the DM of garlic bulb
was 467.8 g/kg as fed. The chemical composition of
the garlic bulb was crude protein, 121.5 g/kg; ether
extract, 7.8 g/kg; starch, 654.5 g/kg; ash, 59.00 g/kg;
Ca, 8.86 g/kg; P, 2.89 g/kg; Na, 1.22 g/kg; K, 9.73 g/kg;
Mg, 0.95 g/kg; Fe, 0.83 g/kg; Mn, 0.042 g/kg; Cu,
0.005 g/kg; and Zn, 0.036 g/kg DM. The total pheno-
1815
lics and tannin concentrations of garlic bulb were 12.4
and 2.9 g/kg DM, respectively.
Growth Performance
The growth performance of the broiler chickens
reared under STC is presented in Table 2. The initial
live body weight was similar in all groups, but the fi-
nal live body weight and body weight gain at 1 to 42 d
increased in quadratic manner with increasing garlic
bulb levels in the diets (P < 0.01). Feeding of GB at the
highest level (15 g/kg) decreased final body weight and
1 to 42 d body weight gain (P < 0.05). The feed intake
was linearly decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing of gar-
lic bulb levels in the diets at 1 to 42 days of age. The
feed conversion ratio was similar among treatments. In
addition, no significant differences were found in the
total mortality and mortality due to ascites between
groups.
The growth performance of broiler chickens reared
under CTC is shown in Table 3. The results illus-
trate that initial and final body weight, body weight
gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were similar
among groups at the end of the experiment. Feeding
GB decreased the ascites related and total mortality
(P < 0.01), while mortality due to causes other than
ascites was not influenced by feeding GB.
Hematological and Ascites-Related
Parameters
The systolic blood pressure, packed cell volume
(PCV), hemoglobin, RV, TV, and RV/TV did not sig-
nificantly differ among treatments under STC. The con-
centration of hemoglobin was not influenced by the di-
ets and was 9.64, 11.97, 9.36 and 10.67 g/dl for GB0,
GB5, GB10, and GB15, respectively. Red blood cell
count and erythrocyte osmotic fragility were linearly
reduced (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of GB in the
diets under STC (Table 4). The increase in GB levels
up to 10 g/kg increased the plasma T3 and T4 concen-
trations and further GB level (15 g/kg) dramatically
decreased these values (Q: P < 0.05). In addition, the
weights of TV did not significantly differ among the di-
ets and were 9.77, 10.64, 10.32 and 10.43 g for GB0,
GB5, GB10 and GB15, respectively.
Table 5 shows that the systolic blood pressure,
packed cell volume, red blood cell count, and erythro-
cyte osmotic fragility decreased by feeding GB com-
pared to the control (GB0) group (P < 0.05).
There were no further differences among the 5, 10
and 15 g/kg GB diets excepting the red blood cell count
for which the lowest value related to the GB15 group,
with significant differences between the control GB0
and GB10 groups. The concentration of hemoglobin for
the diets containing 0, 5, 10, or 15 g/kg GB was 9.41,
10.00, 9.68 and 9.24 g/dl, respectively.
1816 VARMAGHANY ET AL.
Table 2. Broiler chicken performance reared under standard temperature condition.

Parameter Treatments Contrast

GB01 GB5 GB10 GB15 SEM P-Value Linear Quadratic
Body weight (g)
1 day of age 41.78 41.54 41.42 41.42 0.10 0.600 0.229 0.587
42 day of age 2259a,b 2425a 2360a 2114b 39.33 0.011 0.071 0.003
Body weight gain (g/bird/day)
1–42 day of age 52.8a,b 56.8a 55.2a 49.3b 0.85 0.034 0.123 0.012
Feed intake (g/bird/day)
1–42 day of age 94.2 90.9 86.3 79.4 2.41 0.166 0.031 0.791
Feed conversion ratio
1–42 day of age 1.79 1.60 1.56 1.61 0.05 0.186 0.081 0.181
Mortality (No. of dead birds / No. of Total birds∗ 100)
Ascites 5.9 3.6 3.6 5.9 0.972 0.723 0.998 0.269
Other cases 4.8 4.7 5.9 5.9 0.737 0.908 0.525 0.988
Total 10.7 8.3 9.5 11.8 1.220 0.794 0.694 0.380
1
GB0, GB5, GB10, and GB15 diets contained 0 (control) 5, 10, or 15 g garlic/kg DM, respec-
tively.
a–b
Means with different superscripts in each row are significantly (P ≤ 0.05).

Table 3. Broiler chicken performance reared under cold temperature condition.

Parameter Treatments Contrast

GB01 GB5 GB10 GB15 SEM P-Value Linear Quadratic
Body weight (g)
1 day of age 41.41 41.88 42.03 41.56 0.17 0.619 0.707 0.223
42 day of age 1901b 2079a 1877b 1899b 27.17 0.010 0.251 0.065
Body weight gain (g/bird/day)
1–42 day of age 44.3b 48.5a 43.7b 44.2b 0.64 0.01 0.249 0.066
Feed intake (g/bird/d)
1–42 day of age 94.7 92.8 94.2 88.2 1.86 0.636 0.316 0.608
Feed conversion ratio
1–42 day of age 2.15 1.91 2.16 2.00 0.05 0.304 0.673 0.758
Mortality (No. of dead birds / No. of Total birds∗ 100)
Ascites 20.3a 4.7b 7.8b 9.4b 1.77 0.001 0.007 0.001
Other causes 7.8 6.3 4.7 7.8 0.896 0.599 0.859 0.253
Total 28.1a 10.9b 12.5b 17.2b 2.017 0.001 0.010 0.001
1
GB0, GB5, GB10, and GB15 diets contained 0 (control) 5, 10, or 15 g garlic/kg DM, re-
spectively.
a–b
Means with different superscripts in each row are significantly (P ≤ 0.05).

The T4 was decreased in the GB15 group compared
to the GB5 group (P < 0.05), while the T3 was not
influenced by the GB levels. Feeding GB significantly
decreased the RV/TV compared to the control group
(P < 0.05). The weights of TV were 9.71, 10.09, 9.67
and 10.76 g in treatments GB0, GB5, GB10, and GB15,
respectively.
DISCUSSION
Chemical Composition of Garlic Bulb
The chemical composition of garlic is highly variable.
Garlic bulbs have 760 g/kg cloves and 240 g/kg outer
and inner husks (Qureshi et al., 1983a,b). The DM,
crude protein, ether extract, and ash content of gar-
lic bulbs have been reported as 343, 102, 6 and 15 g/kg
as fed and for garlic husks 918, 131, 42 and 56 g/kg as
fed (Bampidis et al., 2005), which differ from the re-
sults of the present study. The most likely reasons for
the observed differences are concerned with the parts of
tested garlic and the processing method used to yield
garlic supplements.
Growth Performance
Under STC, the lowest final body weight was ob-
tained by the birds fed diets containing 15 g/kg gar-
lic bulb at the end of experiment (P < 0.005). High
growth rate is the most important contributory factor
for the incidence of ascites in broiler chickens (Julian,
1993; Luger et al., 2002; Baghbanzadeh and Decuypere,
2008; Arce-Menocal et al., 2009; Hassanzadeh, 2010).
However, those broiler chickens which are fast grow-
ing tend to have pulmonary hypertension and ascites
and begin to decrease body weight, finally showing re-
tarded growth (Luger et al., 2001; Hassanzadeh, 2010).
Higher (numerically) total mortality and ascites-related
mortality was associated with lower body weight in
broilers fed diets containing 15 g/kg garlic bulb. During
 DIETARY HYPOTESION INDUCED BY GARLIC CONTROLS THE BROILERS’ ASCITES 1817
Table 4. Systolic blood pressure, hematological parameters, and ascites-related indices of broiler
chickens reared under standard temperature at 42 days of age.

Parameter Reference Treatments Contrast

ranges GB01 GB5 GB10 GB15 SEM P-Value Linear Quadratic
SBP2 (mmHg) 1513 118.5 105.75 108.25 105.00 2.939 0.364 0.167 0.422
Hematology
PCV (%) 29–483 35.87 31.10 32.47 33.00 1.016 0.429 0.366 0.254
RBC)106 /μ l) 3.2–3.83 3.24 2.94 2.86 2.81 0.074 0.169 0.043 0.393
EOF (%) 14.84 32.11 23.13 22.04 19.60 1.865 0.072 0.017 0.320
Thyroid hormones (ng/ml)
T3 1.7–2.63 3.04 3.89 4.05 2.54 0.284 0.192 0.579 0.044
T4 14–31.43 11.40 12.54 14.17 9.62 0.697 0.116 0.513 0.039
Ascites-related parameters
RV (g) 2.49 2.37 2.27 2.34 0.068 0.746 0.405 0.530
RV/TV < 0.255 0.25 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.007 0.329 0.149 0.268
1
GB0, GB5, GB10, and GB15 diets contained 0 (control) 5, 10, or 15 g garlic/kg DM, respectively.
2
SBP: Systolic blood pressure, PCV: Packed cell volume, RBC: Red blood cell, EOF: Erythrocyte osmotic
fragility, T3: Triiodothyronine, T4: Thyroxine, RV: Right ventricle weight and TV: Right+left ventricle weight.
3
Sturkie (2000).
4
Rajani et al. (2011).
5
Julian et al. (1987).

Table 5. Systolic blood pressure, hematological parameters, and ascites-related indices of broiler chick-
ens reared under cold temperature at 42 days of age.

Parameter Reference Treatments Contrast

ranges GB01 GB5 GB10 GB15 SEM P-Value Linear Quadratic

SBP2 (mmHg) 1513 134.25a 110.75b 110.00b 107.00b 3.995 0.035 0.013 0.131
Hematology
PCV (%) 29–483 38.70a 31.90b 33.00b 33.60b 0.882 0.012 0.028 0.013
RBC)106 /μ l) 3.2–3.83 3.42a 3.06b,c 3.22b 2.95c 0.062 0.003 0.002 0.356
EOF (%) 14.84 35.88a 28.78b 28.00b 25.18b 1.238 0.003 0.001 0.198
Thyroid hormones (ng/ml)
T3 1.7–2.63 3.27 4.00 3.94 3.72 0.300 0.856 0.665 0.483
T4 14–31.43 14.87a,b 18.70a 15.55a,b 12.07b 0.852 0.031 0.076 0.018
Ascites-related parameters
RV (g) 2.68 2.17 2.32 2.62 0.088 0.109 0.942 0.022
RV/TV < 0.255 0.27a 0.22b 0.24b 0.24b 0.006 0.012 0.127 0.007
1
GB0, GB5, GB10, and GB15: 0 (control) 5, 10 and 15 g garlic/kg DM, respectively.
2
SBP: Systolic blood pressure, PCV: Packed cell volume, RBC: Red blood cell, EOF: Erythrocyte osmotic
fragility, T3: Triiodothyronine, T4: Thyroxine, RV: Right ventricle weight and TV: Right+left ventricle weight.
3
Sturkie (2000).
4
Rajani et al. (2011).
5
Julian et al. (1987).
a–b
Means with different superscripts in each row are significantly (P ≤ 0.05).

the entire experimental period, the highest and lowest
body weight gain was observed by inclusion of 5 and
15 g/kg garlic bulb in the diets, respectively. Scheele
et al. (2003) reported that body weight gain was lower
in broiler chicken flocks that had high mortality rates.
These results are consistent with the findings of the
present study. The inclusion of different levels of GB in
diets did not have an effect on feed conversion ratio dur-
ing 1 to 42 days of age. Moreover, the decrease in feed
intake during days 1 to 42, with increasing garlic bulb
levels under STC, may be related to the palatability of
the diets. Garlic and its products have a pungent smell
and can reduce diet palatability (Chen et al., 2008),
leading to feed intake reduction.
No significant differences were found in body weight,
body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio
among groups during 1 to 42 days of age under CTC.
Diets supplemented with garlic and its by-products had
variable effects on broiler chicken growth performance.
The inclusion of 1 g/kg garlic powder in the diets had a
negative effect on growth performance (Pourali et al.,
2010) while the inclusion of 1 to 3 g/kg garlic powder
in finisher diets was shown to improve growth perfor-
mance (Raeesi et al., 2010). In other studies, the inclu-
sion of garlic powder in the diets had no effects on body
weight gain and feed conversion ratio in broiler chickens
(Horton et al., 1991; Konjufca et al., 1997; Onibi et al.,
2009; Choi et al., 2010). It seems that basal diets, the
amount of garlic included in the diets, and the age of
the birds are the main reasons for these observations.
Total mortality and ascites-related mortality rates
were reduced in the birds fed diets with the inclu-
sion of 5 g/kg GB under CTC. Ascites-related mortal-
ity rate was 4 to 5% in chickens reared under standard
conditions (Pakdel et al., 2002) and was 23% in ascites-
induced birds (Luger et al., 2002). Ascites-related
1818 VARMAGHANY ET AL.
mortality under both STC and CTC in the current
study was 3.6 to 6.9% and 4.7 to 20.3%, respectively. A
marked reduction in mortality was observed in broiler
chickens fed a diet supplemented with garlic powder
(Tollba and Hassan, 2003), a result in agreement with
the current study. Epidemiological, clinical, and pre-
clinical studies have shown that garlic reduces the oc-
currence of cardiovascular disease (Bozin et al., 2008).
The ability of garlic to reduce mortality might be due
to its systemic anti-hypertensive properties (McMahon
and Vargas, 1993; Al-Qattan et al., 1999; Khalid, 2001;
Preuss et al., 2001; Chen et al., 2008), its positive ef-
fects on the cardio-vascular system (Rana et al., 2011),
and liver protection effects (Berges et al., 2004).
Hematological and Ascites-Related
Parameters
Hematological parameters have an important role in
the pathophysiology of ascites in poultry, especially
broiler chickens (Luger et al., 2001; Scheele et al., 2003).
The levels of garlic had no effect on hemoglobin content.
This finding is consistent with Rahimi et al. (2011) re-
port. The lowest packed cell volume was observed in
the birds fed diets containing 5 g/kg GB under CTC.
The packed cell volume is an indicator for ascites since
erythropoiesis occurs in response to hypoxia (Rajani
et al., 2011) as a natural physiological response in birds
(Sturkie, 2000). The value of packed cell volume in
broiler chicks and hens are 0.29 and 0.48, respectively
(Sturkie, 2000). The results of the present study showed
that GB at a level of 5 g/kg decreased the packed cell
volume compared with other GB levels under CTC.
Therefore, garlic bulb at the 5 g/kg inclusion level in
diets may be considered useful as a preventive mea-
sure against ascites under CTC. This assumption was
reflected in the lower ascites incidence and mortality
observed in the 5 g/kg GB group under CTC (Table 3).
The value of erythrocyte osmotic fragility decreased
with increasing dietary garlic inclusion under both STC
and CTC. Lower erythrocyte osmotic fragility indicates
maintenance of the standard erythrocyte membrane in-
tegrity (Rajani et al., 2011), which may enable higher
oxygen transport activity. The resulting hypoxia in-
duced by lower erythrocyte deformability values could
facilitate ascites development (Julian, 1993).
There were no significant differences in RV weight
and RV/TV ratio among groups under STC, but GB5
had a lower RV/TV ratio under CTC. The RV/TV ra-
tio has been considered to be strongly related to ascites
incidence (Balog et al., 2003; Julian, 2005; Daneshyar
et al., 2009). An RV/TV ratio higher than 0.25 to 0.30
was considered to be an ascites diagnostic criteria in
broilers (Julian et al., 1987). Decreased RV/TV ratios
in the GB5 group was associated with reductions in to-
tal mortality and ascites-related mortality under CTC
(Table 3).
Blood pressure monitoring is increasingly common
in veterinary practice. High blood pressure is a major
factor contributing to the susceptibility of broilers to
disorders such as cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary
systems (Henik et al., 2005; Rattez et al., 2010). The
pulmonary arterial blood pressure is higher in broil-
ers that are susceptible to ascites than in those that
are resistant (Wideman et al., 2010). Systemic blood
pressure is defined as the force that the blood ex-
erts on the vessel walls (Lichtenberger, 2005). The pre-
viously reported systolic blood pressure measured in
broiler chickens fed diets containing olive leaves (55.9
to 68.8 mm Hg under STC and 57.5 to 79.05 mm
Hg under CTC) (Varmaghany et al., 2013) are lower
than values of the present study (105.0 to 118.5 mm
Hg under STC and 107.0 to 134.25 mm Hg under
CTC). It can be concluded that olive leaves are more
effective in reducing systolic blood pressure than gar-
lic bulbs. Conversely, the cuff size has an important
role in the explanation of this difference. The cuff size
was 7.5 to 13 cm in previous experiments (Varmaghany
et al., 2013) but was 5 to 7.5 cm in the present study.
The results of the current study showed that systolic
blood pressure decreased with increasing GB inclu-
sion in diets under STC. Garlic reduces blood pres-
sure in humans and animals (Al-Qattan et al., 1999;
Khalid, 2001; Preuss et al., 2001; Chen et al., 2008)
which is in agreement with the results of the present
study. Based on available sources, no study exists re-
garding the changes in the systolic blood pressure of
broilers fed garlic or its products. Anti-hypertensive
drugs are divided into 4 main categories including beta-
blockers, diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme in-
hibitors, and calcium channel blockers (Weiss et al.,
2006). The anti-hypertensive properties of garlic may
be due to the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory
or calcium channel blocking properties of allicin (Preuss
et al., 2001; Sharifi et al., 2004).
CONCLUSION
The inclusion of 5 g/kg garlic bulb in broiler chicken
diets reduced the systolic blood pressure, RV/TV ratio,
packed cell volume, total mortality, and ascites-related
mortality under CTC. Moreover, the inclusion of 5 g/kg
garlic bulb in broiler chicken diets led to a better final
body weight and body weight gain under both STC and
CTC. It can be concluded that the inclusion of 5 g/kg
garlic bulb in broiler chicken diets could help to prevent
ascites in susceptible broilers.
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