Abstract
Exogenous enzymes and phytogenic feed additives are proposed as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. This study assessed the effect of pawpaw leaf meal (PLM) inclusion and enzyme (E) supplementation in the diet of broiler chickens. In total 288 Arbor-Acre day-old broiler chickens were used. Four diets were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous: diet 1, control (0% PLM, 0% E), diet 2 (0% PLM, 0.05% E), diet 3 (5% PLM, 0% E), and diet 4 (5% PLM, 0.05% E). Each diet was replicated six times with 12 chickens in each batch. E improved (p < 0.05) the body weight gain at three weeks. The dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract and ash digestibility were improved (p < 0.05) with E, whereas PLM inclusion produced (p < 0.05) an increase in DM and CP digestibility. The E x PLM effect was significant (p < 0.05) for DM and CP digestibility. E improved (p < 0.05) the slaughter weight and reduced the liver weight. Platelets varied across diets and increased (p < 0.05) with enzyme supplementation. E reduced (p < 0.05) low-density lipoproteins (LDL), whereas PLM reduced (p < 0.05) cholesterol and LDL. In conclusion, the association of E and PLM improved chicken growth, and E or PLM inclusion should benefit chicken health.
Highlights
Intensive poultry production in developing countries could be further enhanced through feeding strategies that promote feed utilization in relation to bird performances
The ban on the use of antibiotics in animal feed has fueled the search for alternative animal growth promoters in the form of enzyme supplementation (Garcia et al, 2008) and phytogenic feed additives (Oloruntola et al, 2018)
The experimental design was of a completely randomized design in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, i.e. diets with 0 and 50 g/ kg pawpaw leaf meal (PLM), and diets with 0 and 0.5 g/kg enzymes added after feed manufacturing
Summary
Intensive poultry production in developing countries could be further enhanced through feeding strategies that promote feed utilization in relation to bird performances. According to Falçao-e-Cunha et al (2007), antibiotics have the ability to decrease feed usage per production unit with concomitant increase in production performance. This is in addition to the fact that antibiotics can help reduce the disease burden, inhibit pathogenic microorganisms, and reduce microbial toxic metabolites, epithelium turn over, intestinal motility and bacterial deconjugation of bile salt (Falçao-e-Cunha et al, 2007). Enzyme supplementation has been reported to improve changes in the intestinal environment, including the viscosity of the digesta, which may promote contact among nutrients, endogenous enzymes and absorptive mucosae, enhancing the usage of the diet by the concerned animal (Lázaro et al, 2003; Mateos et al, 2010)
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