Effect of Adding Different Levels of Maca Root (Lepidium Meyenii) to the Diet on the Productive Performance of Broilers Exposed to Oxidative Stress

This experiment was conducted in the poultry field of the Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture, Al-Qasim Green University, Iraq, for the period from 1/10/ 2021 to 4/11/ 2021. The current study aimed to use different levels of maca roots (Lepidium meyenii) to reduce the effects of experimentally-induced oxidative stress by using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in broiler chickens. In the present experiment, 225 unsexed broiler chicks (Ross 308) were used, distributed randomly to 15 cages, with five experimental treatments for each treatment of 45 birds, and each treatment included three replicates for each replicate of 15 birds. The experimental treatments were as follows: the first treatment was considered as the control group (basic diet + drinking water free of H2O2). The second group: basic diet and water supplemented with 0.5% H2O2 at a concentration of 0.5%. The third group: adding 1 g of maca roots/kg of the basic diet + drinking water containing 0.5% H2O2. The fourth group: adding 1.5 g of maca roots/kg of the basic diet + drinking water containing 0.5% H2O2. The fifth group: adding 2 g of maca roots/kg of the basic diet + drinking water containing 0.5% H2O2. The most important results of the study can be summarized as follows: the recorded data showed significant superiority (P≤0.05) for the first, third, fourth, and fifth treatments in the average live body weight in the fifth week and the total weight gain compared to the second treatment. In addition, the first, fourth, and fifth treatments revealed the best cumulative food conversion ratio and the best productivity index measure, with a significant difference (P≤0.05) compared to the second treatment.