ABSTRACT
Bone mineralization is considered an essential source of minerals for metabolic needs that provide strength and hardness to the bone tissues and in birds its development can be enhanced by the use of dietary supplements. The present study was executed to evaluate the influence of prebiotic, probiotic and antibiotic on the morphometric aspects of tibia bone in broilers. One-hundred and sixty-one-day-old broiler chick were divided randomly into four groups (n=40) with 4 replicates (n=10 in each replicate). Group-I fed with only corn based basal diet and served as controlled group. Group-II with antibiotic supplement (Zinc bacitracin 0.04%), Group-III with probiotic supplement (lactobacillus 0.1%) & Group-IV with prebiotic supplement (mannan oligosaccharide 0.1%). On the 35th day, two birds were selected randomly from each replicate and slaughtered to record the morphometric parameters of both right and left tibia bones from each bird. The findings showed that the length, weight, thickness of lateral and medial wall, tibiotarsal index of bone and bone ash percentage of supplemented groups have had significant (p<0.05) difference when compared to that of the controlled group. The weight/length index in birds supplemented with prebiotic and probiotic was significantly higher (p<0.05) than in the antibiotic supplemented and control group. Medullary canal diameter of all the supplemented groups was significantly lower (p<0.05) than the control group. No significant (p>0.05) difference of robusticity index and diaphysis diameter was observed among various groups. A significant (p<0.05) low level of Alkaline Phosphatase while higher level of Calcium and Phosphorus was recorded in the supplemented groups compared to that of the control group. In conclusion, the use of prebiotic and probiotic as growth promoter can exhibit some underline mechanisms in the form of enhancement of bone quality, density and characteristics in broiler chicks as compared to common antibiotics.(AU)