Moringa Oleifera Leave: Hydro-Alcoholic Extract and Effects on Growth Performance of Broilers

Effect of dietary tannins on the performance, lymphoid organ weight, and amino acid ileal digestibility of broiler chickens: A meta-analysis

Background and Aim:

Tannins are functional secondary metabolites that may provide benefits to ruminants. However, to date, their effects on broiler chickens remain inconclusive. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary tannin levels on the performance, body organs, and amino acid (AA) digestibility of broiler chickens using a meta-analysis.

Materials and Methods:

After verification and evaluation, a total of 22 articles were included in the present study. All data regarding dietary tannin dosages, performance, digestibility, and gastrointestinal physiology of broiler chickens were tabulated into a database. The database data were then statistically analyzed using mixed models, with tannin dose as a fixed effect and study as a random effect.

Results:

High levels of dietary tannins negatively affected the average daily gain and average daily feed intake of broiler chickens according to linear patterns (p<0.001). In addition, dietary tannins decreased drumstick and liver weights, as well as bursa of Fabricius and spleen weight (p<0.05). Meanwhile, other carcass traits (i.e., thigh, wings, and body fat) were not influenced by dietary tannins. Regarding AA digestibility, high dietary tannin concentrations induced negative responses on isoleucine, leucine, and methionine digestibility (p<0.05).

Conclusion:

Dietary tannins appear to have a negative effect on broiler performance, lymphoid organ weight, and AA ileal digestibility. Hence, the addition of tannins to broiler diets is not recommended.

Effects of dietary flavonoids on performance, blood constituents, carcass composition and small intestinal morphology of broilers: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the influence of dietary flavonoids on the growth performance, blood and intestinal profiles, and carcass characteristics of broilers by employing a meta-analysis method.

METHODS

A database was built from published studies which have reported on the addition of various levels of flavonoids from herbs into broiler diets and then monitored growth performance, blood constituents, carcass proportion and small intestinal morphology. A total of 42 articles were integrated into the database. Several forms of flavonoids in herbs were applied in the form of unextracted and crude extracts. The database compiled was statistically analyzed using mixed model methodology. Different studies were considered as random effects, and the doses of flavonoids were treated as fixed effects. The model statistics used were the p-values and the Akaike information criterion. The significance of an effect was stated when its p-value was <0.05.

RESULTS

Dietary flavonoids increased (quadratic pattern; p<0.05) the average daily gain of broilers in the finisher phase. There was a reduction (p<0.01) in the feed conversion ratio of the broilers both in the starter (linear pattern) and finisher phases (quadratic pattern). The mortality rate tended to decrease linearly (p<0.1) with the addition of flavonoids, while the carcass parameter was generally not influenced. A reduction (p<0.001) in cholesterol and malondialdehyde concentrations (both linearly) was observed, while super oxide dismutase activity increased linearly (p<0.001). Increasing the dose of flavonoids increased (p<0.01) the villus height (VH) and villus height and crypt depth (VH:CD) ratio (p<0.05) in the duodenum. Similarly, the VH:CD ratio was elevated (p<0.001) in the jejunum following flavonoid supplementation.

CONCLUSION

Increasing levels of flavonoids in broilers diet leads to an improvement in growth performance, blood constituents, carcass composition and small intestinal morphology.

Effect of dietary Moringa oleifera leaves on the performance, ileal microbiota and antioxidative status of broiler chickens

In this study, we investigated the effect of Moringa oleifera leaves (MOL) supplements on the performance, ileal microbiota carcass traits and biochemical and antioxidant parameters of broiler chickens. MOL was added to starter, grower and finisher diets at four levels (0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 5.0%). A total of 320 one-day-old mixed-sex Cobb-500 broiler chicks were divided equally into four treatment groups, with 5 replicates of 16 chicks each until 42 days of age. Compared to the control group, chicks fed 0.5% and 1% MOL exhibited a higher final body weight (FBW), greater weight gain (BWG), and better average daily gain (ADG). Feed intake (FI) gradually decreased as the inclusion rate of MOL in the broilers' diet increased to 5%. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and performance index (PI) were observed in broilers that were fed the MOL diet. The percentage of abdominal fat in broilers decreased significantly in response to dietary supplementation with MOL. The haematological profile in the MOL group revealed a lower WBC count and lymphocyte percentage but higher heterophil and H/L ratio without affecting haemoglobin and RBC count. The inclusion of MOL increased total serum protein, Ca and P levels but decreased glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, AST and ALT concentrations. Moreover, dietary MOL increased the activities of GSH, CAT and SOD, GPx and GST while decreasing the TBARS level. The pH value decreased in the ileum of broilers fed the 1% and 5% MOL diet compared to the other treatments. Decreased ileal counts of E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus spp. were observed whereas the total ileal Lactobacillus spp. count increased in broilers fed the MOL diet. In conclusion, the MOL supplement can enhance growth performance and antioxidant status, alter ileal microbiota and protect against enteropathogens with no deleterious effects on the broiler chickens.