Effects of Varying Doses of Cocos Nucifera Water on Body Weight and Blood Biochemistry of Broiler Chicks

Abstract

Effect of 2 varying doses of Cocos nucifera water (coconut water) was investigated on body weight and blood biochemistry of broiler chicks. The body weight, dressed weight and organ weights were determined by the use of standard weighing balance. The coconut water was aseptically collected from each coconut by piercing through the eye with sharp rod. The sterile coconut water was transferred into labeled sample bottle, corked and kept for the experiment. A total of 60 two weeks old anak 2000 broiler chicks were assigned into three treatments of 20 chicks each and replicated four times of 5 chicks per replicate in a completely randomized design. Treatment one (control) received 0.00mgcoconut water/kg body weight of birds. Treatment two and three received 200mg and 400mg of coconut water per kg bodyweight of birds respectively through oral intubation. The administration of experimental material was terminated after 28 days following an overnight fast. Blood was collected by venu–puncture via external jugular vein and discarded into two sample sets of bottles (one without anticoagulant and another with anticoagulant). The result obtained revealed a non-significant (P>0.05) non-dose dependent changes in live weight, dressed weight of broiler chicks with a significant (P<0.05) but non-dose dependent dressing percentage. The organ weight characteristics showed a non-significant (P>0.05), non-dose dependent weight changes in all the organs weighed except the gizzard that produced a significant (P<0.05), dose dependent reduction in weight as dosage of administration of coconut water increased. For haematological indicesthe result showed dose dependent significant (P<0.05) decrease in mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and relative white blood cell count but a significant (P<0.05) non-dose dependent decrease in haemoglobin concentration. Anon-significant, non-dose dependent changes were observed for red blood cells count and parked cell volume for doses of coconut water tested. For blood lipids, significant dose dependent decreases in total cholesterol and triacylglycerol were observed but a significant and non-dose dependent decrease in very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol revealed non-significant, non-dose dependent changes with the dose of coconut water administered. Alanine aminotransferase showed a significant increase but non-dose dependent activities for the two doses of administration under investigation whereas aspartate aminotransferase exhibited non-significant but dose dependent changes in activity. However, alkaline phosphatase revealed a dose dependent significant reduction in activity for the doses tested. Having no detrimental effects on body weight and organ weights with a significant (P<0.05) reduction in blood lipids, one will commend the use of coconut water in broiler production not above 400mg/kg body weight of birds due to its negative response to white blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration (though not correlated at all to RBC) and alanine aminotransferase activity in this study.