In recent years, researchers are looking for safe natural growth promoters such as organic acids, probiotics, prebiotics and phytobiotics. The beneficial effects of probiotics on growth performance, nutrients digestibility, cecal microflora composition
and antibody responses to Newcastle disease virus and infectious bursal disease vaccination have been reported. It is also well known that phytobiotics and natural products such as herbs may be successful additives in poultry production. Mushrooms are known to have considerable antimicrobial properties and immune enhancement effects reported that oyster mushroom contains soluble fiber compounds,especially non-starch glucans (442–901 g/kg) and small amount of other glucans such as chitin and galactomannans, which favor population of lactobacilli. The oyster mushroom is also famous for its cholesterol lowering effect . Based on these findings, it is reasonable to assume that dual addition of probiotics and the oyster mushroom herb may induce considerable beneficial synergetic effects on performance, immune response and serum lipids in broiler chickens.
Therefore, in the present study, the effect of oyster mushroom and probiotic
co-administration on growth and immune response of broiler chickens were examined.