Dietary Nigella sativa supplementation enhances performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, immune response, and gut health in broilers

This study evaluated the effects of black cumin (Nigella sativa) seed powder as a natural growth promoter on the growth performance, carcass traits, blood biochemistry, immune response, and gut morphology in broilers. A total of 250 day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to five dietary treatment groups (T1 to T5), each comprising 50 birds with 5 replicates of 10 birds each, under a completely randomized design. The birds were fed diets supplemented with 0 % (control), 1.25 %, 2.5 %, 3.75 %, or 5 % black cumin seed powder for a period of 35 days. The results indicated that birds fed 1.25 % and 2.5 % black cumin seed powder exhibited greater body weight gain and improved feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05). These inclusion levels (1.25 % and 2.5 %) also enhanced carcass yield, particularly increasing breast and thigh meat proportions (P < 0.05). The 2.5 % inclusion group exhibited lower drip loss and reduced meat pH. Gut morphology improved at the 1.25 % and 2.5 % inclusion levels, with increased villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (P < 0.05). Higher inclusion levels also elevated serum protein and albumin while reducing cholesterol and triglycerides (P < 0.05). The T3 group (2.5 %) exhibited the strongest immune response, showing higher immune antibody titers (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with black cumin seed powder at levels of 1.25 % to 2.5 % can effectively enhance growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, immune status, and gut health in broilers without adversely affecting serum biochemical parameters.