EFFECT OF MELITTIN AND THEPAX AS NATURAL ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIVIRAL TREATMENTS ON BROILER PERFORMANCE AND SOME RELATED TRAITS

The present study was performed to evaluate the untraditional natural additives (Melittin and Thepax) as prospective alternatives to classical therapy treatment through studying their effects on productive performance, carcass characteristics, meat composition and economic efficiency of broiler chicks. A total of 810 one-day old chicks, were randomly distributed into nine experimental groups of 90 birds in three replicates. The experimental treatments were: T1= Control, T2= Melittin (83.3 μg/L), T3= Melittin (166.6 μg/L), T4= Thepax (0.25 g/kg), T5= Thepax (0.5 g/kg), T6= Melittin (83.3 μg/L) + Thepax (0.25 g/kg), T7= Melittin (166.6 μg/L) + Thepax (0.25 g/kg), T8= Melittin (83.3 μg/L) + Thepax (0.5 g/kg), T9= Melittin (166.6 μg/L) + Thepax (0.5 g/kg). The results revealed that the highest BW and BWG were achieved by birds of T6 and T7 (with 8.84, 7.97% and 9.05, 8.13% higher than the control group, respectively). Moreover, birds treated with the various combinations of Thepax and Melittin (T6, T7, T8, and T9) had significantly the best FCR values (with 10.38% improvement, on average, compared to the control group). The same previous groups had significantly the lowest mortality rates. Birds of T6 recorded the highest European production efficiency factor being 376.73. Additionally, broilers treated with various combinations of Melittin and Thepax had significantly the highest carcass weight with the lowest abdominal fat percentages. It could be observed also that birds treated with higher Melittin level (T3, T7 or T9 groups) had significantly the lowest breast protein percentages and the highest fat composition. Finally, broilers of T6 obtained the best economic efficiency value. In conclusion, supplementing broilers with 83.3 μg Melittin /L water + 0.25 g Thepax /kg feed could be used to replace the classical veterinary treatments, that provides beneficial effects on productive performance, health status, and carcass quality of broilers with improving the economic efficiency of broiler production.