The effect of dietary Marula nut meal on the physical properties, proximate and fatty acid content of Japanese quail meat

Dietary effects of Sclerocarya birrea caffra seed cake replacing soyabean meal on physiology, meat and bone quality of indigenous chickens

This study investigated marula seed cake (MSC) as alternative protein source (APS) replacing soyabean meal (SBM) in indigenous chicken diets. Four hundred, 3-week-old Boschveld chicks were randomly allocated to 5 iso-energetic-nitrogenous maize and SBM-based grower diets with 0, 10, 15, 20, and 25 % MSC, each with 5 replicate pens of 16 birds, in a completely randomised design (CRD), for 9 weeks. Results showed that dietary MSC quadratically decreased bird overall feed intake (FI) (P < 0.001) and body weight gain (BWG) (P < 0.01) as it linearly decreased the weights of hot carcass (HCW; P < 0.05), spleen (P < 0.05), jejunum (P < 0.05), ileum (P < 0.001), and caecum (P < 0.001). In contrast, MSC increased chicken serum glucose (P < 0.05), cholesterol (P = 0.001) and phosphate (P < 0.05) as it decreased its amylase activity (P < 0.01). Also, it decreased bird meat lightness at 45 min (P < 0.05) and its yellowness at 45 min (P < 0.001) and 24 h (P < 0.001) whilst it increased its redness at 45 min (P < 0.01) and 24 h (P < 0.05) post-slaughter. In addition, MSC decreased chicken bone medial diaphysis (P < 0.05) as it induced no effects (P > 0.05) on overall feed conversion efficiency (FCE) and all other parameters. In conclusion, feeding of ≤ 15 % dietary MSC is nutritionally safe for indigenous chickens whilst detrimental on bird appetite, growth and meat yield, however without significantly affecting their physiology, at higher inclusion levels.

Low dietary oyster mushroom spent substrate limitedly ameliorates detrimental effects of feeding combined marula seed cake and mucuna seed meal as soya bean replacements in broiler chickens

This study investigated ameliorative effects of dietary oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) spent substrate (OMSS) in broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with combined marula seed cake (MSC) and mucuna seed meal (MSM) replacing soya bean meal (SBM). In a completely randomised design (CRD), 400 day-old Ross 308 chicks were randomly allocated to 5 iso-nitrogenous-energetic diets (control with 100% SBM, control with 60% MSC and 40% MSM replacing SBM (MSC + MSM), MSC + MSM with 1.25% OMSS, MSC + MSM with 2.5% OMSS, and MSC + MSM with 5% OMSS) each with 8 replicate pens of 10 during starter, grower and finisher phases. Dietary MSC + MSM decreased (P < 0.001) feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG), and feed conversion efficiency (FCE); slaughter weight, hot carcass weight (HCW), cold carcass weight (CCW), breast weight, and back lengths (P < 0.001); serum SDMA and alanine transaminase (P < 0.05). In contrast, it increased the weights of the thigh (P < 0.001), wing (P < 0.01), liver (P < 0.001), proventriculus (P < 0.001), gizzard (P < 0.001), duodenum (P < 0.001), jejunum (P < 0.001), ileum (P < 0.001), and caecum (P < 0.01) and serum alkaline phosphatase (P < 0.05) and cholesterol (P < 0.01). Further, it increased meat redness and decreased its hue angle at 45 min post-slaughter (P < 0.01) whilst it decreased its pH (P < 0.01) and increased its shear force (P < 0.05) at 24 h post-slaughter. Compared to higher levels, low (1.25%) dietary OMSS improved, though limitedly, FI, BWG, and FCE at grower and finisher phases only (P < 0.001) whilst it reversed MSC plus MSM-induced deleterious effects on slaughter weight, HCW, and CCW (P < 0.001) and increases in gizzard weight (P < 0.001) and meat shear force at 24 h post-slaughter (P < 0.05). Otherwise, OMSS generally decreased (P < 0.05) serum SDMA and alanine transaminase whilst it abrogated and augmented increases in serum alkaline phosphatase (P < 0.05) and cholesterol (P < 0.01), respectively, and reversed the increase and decrease in meat redness (P < 0.01) and hue angle (P < 0.05), respectively. In conclusion, dietary replacement of SBM with combined MSC plus MSM induced deleterious effects in broiler chickens that were limitedly abrogated by low (1.25%) inclusion level of OMSS.

Morula Kernel Cake (Sclerocarya birrea) as a Protein Source in Diets of Finishing Tswana Lambs: Effects on Nutrient Digestibility, Growth, Meat Quality, and Gross Margin

A trial evaluated growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and economic returns of fattened lambs fed on diets containing different protein sources. Six castrated male Tswana lambs per treatment were used in a completely randomised design (CRD) trial and fed on complete diets containing Lucerne (CD; commercial diet), morula kernel cake (MKC), or sunflower seedcake (SC) as protein sources over a 103-day experiment. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in the dry matter intake, final body weight, average daily gain, and FCR. This was attributable to all the diets providing an equal supply of nutrients to the lambs. Meat quality attributes and proximate composition values were similar (p > 0.05) across the treatments. Longissimus dorsi muscle organoleptic quality did not differ (p > 0.05) across the treatments. The gross margin analysis was significantly greater (p < 0.05) when feeding SCD than feeding CD and was intermediate for lambs fed MKCD. Morula kernel cake (Sclerocarya birrea) can be used for fattening lambs when common protein sources are either not available or expensive.

Growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics of pigs fed diets containing amarula (Sclerocarya birrea A. Rich) nut cake as replacement to soybean meal

This experiment evaluated varying levels of Amarula (Sclerocarya birrea A. Rich) nut cake (ANC) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics in pigs. Thirty Large White × Landrace (LW × LR) pigs were stratified by weight (average live weight of 20 ± 5 kg) and randomly allocated to the five experimental diets that contained 0 (control), 50, 100, 150 and 200 g ANC/kg DM. Each pig served as a replicate unit, housed individually. The pigs were fed the experimental diets ad-lib once in the morning, allowing a 10% of feed refusal, and had free access to water. Bodyweight, feed intake, average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded weekly throughout the 56-day trial period. On completion of the growth trial, following a 3-day adaptation, a nutrient digestibility study was conducted over 5 days. Thereafter, pigs were fasted for 12 h, weighed, slaughtered, and carcass samples were collected for analysis. Data on the effects of treatments on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics were analysed using a two-way ANOVA in randomised blocks and were compared using Student's t-LSD. Feed intake was not affected by dietary treatment, but ADGs were reduced at ANC levels > 150 g/kg, resulting in poor FCR. Protein digestibility was reduced at ANC levels > 150 g/kg, while ether extract and fibre levels increased. Warm and cold carcass weights were lower at ANC levels > 150 g/kg, with improved meat redness and lightness. It was concluded that ANC could replace SBM in the diet of growing pigs at less than 150 g/kg inclusion level.