the effect of curcumin supplementation on hepatic fat accumulation and histopathological findings in laying hens

This study was conducted to determine the effects of different levels of curcumin supplementation in laying hen diets on liver fat content and histopathological findings. a total of 40 hy-line brown laying hens, 68 weeks of age, were used in the experiment. the birds were randomly allocated into five groups, each consisting of 8 replicates. the first group was fed a basal diet, while the other groups received the basal diet supplemented with 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg of curcumin, respectively. the hens were housed individually in cages and provided with feed and water ad libitum throughout the 10-week trial period. at the end of the experiment, liver tissue samples were collected from slaughtered birds for determination of total fat content and histopathological examination. the results showed that supplementation with 100 mg/kg curcumin significantly reduced liver fat content (p<0.01), and no lipid vacuoles were observed in the liver tissue of this group. the highest fat content (33.82%) was detected in the group supplemented with 400 mg/kg curcumin, where more than 66% of the liver tissue contained lipid vacuoles with macro- and microvesicles. in conclusion, supplementation of laying hen diets with 100 mg/kg curcumin had beneficial effects on liver fat content and histopathological structure, indicating that this dose may be considered as the most appropriate level.