Abstract
The restriction of antibiotic growth promoters in livestock nutrition has led to a growing interest in plant feed additives. This study was designed to assess the production performance of broiler chickens fed on graded levels of Pentadiplandra brazzeana powder in drinking water. A total of 448 day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to seven treatment groups with 4 replicates of 16 birds each (08 males and 08 females). Pentadiplandra brazzeana root was grounded and incorporated at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 g/L of drinking water. Control rations consisted of diet without any supplement (T0) and antibiotic (1 g/kg) medicated diet (T0+). Throughout the experimental period (49 days) feed intake was not significantly (p > 0.05) affected by graded levels of Pentadiplandra brazzeana except for 5 g/L of water that significantly (p Pentadiplandra brazzeana/L recorded a higher (p 0.05) affected irrespective of the level of incorporation of the test spice in drinking water. Serum content in urea was significantly lower (p Pentadiplandra brazzeana/L compared to all other treatments. ASAT, ALAT, creatinine, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL-cholesterol were not significantly affected by the inclusion of Pentadiplandra brazzeana powder in drinking water. Feeding chickens with up to 4 g of Pentadiplandra brazzeana significantly increased (p Pentadiplandra brazzeana powder through drinking water can be used as alternative to antibiotics to improve growth performance of broiler chickens.
Highlights
This last decade, medicinal herbs, aromatic plant and spices have gain more interest in animal nutrition, in poultry production for the improvement of health and animal wellbeing
Birds fed on 2 and 3 g P. brazzeana powder through water recorded the highest (p < 0.05) live body weight and weight gain of all the treatments, while birds fed on 5g of this phytobiotic recorded the lowest (p < 0.05) live body weight and weight gain
Throughout the trial, birds fed on antibiotic, 1, 2 and 3 g P. brazzeana powder recorded the highest (p < 0.05) live body weight and weight gain compared to birds fed on the negative control diet, 4 and 5 g P. brazzeana powder
Summary
This last decade, medicinal herbs, aromatic plant and spices have gain more interest in animal nutrition, in poultry production for the improvement of health and animal wellbeing. This growing interest in herbal feed additives in livestock production known as phytogenic feed additives is due to the development of microbial resistance to antibiotic feed additives. The primary mode of action of growth promoting feed additives can be attributed mainly to the stabilization of feed hygiene and from the beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal microbiota through controlling pathogens [2] They stimulate digestive enzyme and gastric secretion [3]. Previous study revealed that Zingiber officinale and Allium sativum [5], Tetrapleura tetraptera, Afrostyrax lepidophyllus and Dichrostachys glomerata improve growth performance of broiler chickens [6] [7] [8]
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