Effect of garlic powder on serum cholestrol, liver and muscles of male broilers

    In poultry, liver is the main organ in synthesis of lipids and their secretion into plasma. Secretion of lipids from liver and their storage in muscles is important in human nutrition. There are controversial reports about garlic effects on TC (total cholesterol) content of serum and liver in poultry. In this study the effect of diets containing various percents of garlic powder on TC content of serum, liver and muscles has been investigated. For this purpose, four groups (36 pieces each) of three- week male chickens were fed by diets containing 0, 1, 2 and 4 percent of garlic powder. At the end of 5^th and 7^th weeks 15 pieces of each group were bled and then scarifised. The liver, pectoral and femoral muscles TC content were extracted and measured by specterphotometric method. Results showed that all diets containing 1%, 2%, 4% garlic had no effect on TC of Serum, muscle and liver at the end of 5^th week, while at the end of 7^th week, 2% and 4% diets, in liver and 4% diet in serum and muscles, significantly decreased TC in comparison with control (P<0.05) respectively. It was concluded that, simultaneous reduction in serum, liver and muscle TC content, may be due to inhibition of hepatic TC synthesis and or secretion as a dose dependent manner.