Inclusion Of Leaf Meal Research Articles

The effect of Vachellia eriolaba leaf meal inclusion on growth performance, blood parameters and methane gas emission in lambs fed diets containing ammoniated maize stover

The study evaluated the effect of Vachellia erioloba leaf meal in diets containing ammoniated maize stove on growth performance, methane emission and heath of growing lambs. Thirty-two female lambs were allocated to the following four dietary treatments: total mixed ration (TMR, control), 20% inclusion of untreated maize stover (UMS), 20% inclusion of ammoniated maize stover (AMS), and combined inclusion of 10% ammoniated maize stover and 10% Vachellia erioloba leaves (AMSVL). Each treatment was replicated 8 times and a lamb in an individual pen was regarded as an experimental unit in a completely randomized design. Feed intake was higher (P < 0.05) in lambs fed the AMS and AMSVL diets compared to those fed UMS. Final body weights were higher in lambs fed the AMS and AMSVL diets. Both average daily gain (ADG) and feed convention ratio (FCR) were not affected by diet. In comparison with the AMS and AMSVL diets, the lambs fed the UMS diet had the highest (P < 0.05) methane emission. Overall, lambs fed the control diets had the lowest (P < 0.05) methane gas emission. Blood hematological values were affected by diet with the AMSVL fed lambs having the highest (P < 0.05) mean platelet volume (MPV) and procalcitonin (PCT) values. Furthermore, total albumin, amylase and total bilirubin were the highest (P < 0.05) in lambs fed on the AMSVL diet. Lambs fed on AMS diet had the highest (P < 0.05) serum urea levels. It can be concluded that combined inclusion of ammoniated maize stover and Vachellia leaves improved feed value and lamb performance when compared to the individual inclusion of both UMS and AMS.

Evaluation of Nymphaea nouchali leaf meal based diets on growth, digestive enzymes and haematological parameters of Labeo catla fingerlings (Hamilton, 1822)

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the nutraceutical traits of Nymphaea nouchali herbal plant ingredients on the growth performance, digestive enzymes and health status of Labeo catla fingerlings owing to the abundance of phytoconstituents. Methodology: Four isonitrogenous and isocaloric diet with different inclusion levels of Nymphaea nouchali leaf meal (NNLM) i.e., 0%, 20%, 30% and 40% were formulated and designated as T-0, T-I, T-II and T-III treatment groups. A total of 144 fingerlings of L. catla were randomly distributed into the experimental cisterns in triplicates following completely randomized design. Results: At the end of the experiment, the percent weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) with significantly lower (P&lt;0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) in T-II group as compared to the other experimental groups. Significantly lower (P&lt;0.05) percent weight gain and SGR with significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) FCR were recorded in T-0 and T-III. The protease and amylase activities were found to be significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) in the T-II with lower (P&lt;0.05) values recorded in T-0 and T-III groups. The red blood cell count and haemoglobin level were found to be significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) in the T-I and T-II groups as compared to T-0 and T-III, respectively. Interpretation: The present study demonstrated that dietary inclusion of Nymphaea nouchali leaf meal with 30% improved growth, nutrient utilization and better health benefits of L. catla fingerlings in the present culture condition. Key words: Digestive enzymes, Herbal plant, Labeo catla, Leaf meal, Nymphaea nouchali

Effect of Vachellia karroo leaf meal inclusion levels on growth, meat pH, shear force, cooking loss and shelf life of Ross 308 broiler chickens

Effect of <i>Vachellia karroo</i> leaf meal inclusion levels on growth, meat pH, shear force, cooking loss and shelf life of Ross 308 broiler chickens

The effects of dried betel (Piper betle Linn) leaf extract and betel leaf meal on the production of quail egg

One of the purposes of the inclusion of antibiotics in the ration is to improve production efficiency. Betel leaves are medicinal herbs containing essential oil which can be used as natural antibiotics. This research aimed to examine the effect of giving betel leaf extract and betel leaf flour on quail egg production. A completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 4 replicates was used. Treatments consisted of basal ration (P0), the inclusion of betel leaf meal (BLM) in ration by 1% (P1), the inclusion of dried betel leaf extract (DBLE) in ration by 0.5% (P2) and 1% (P3). The results showed that the inclusion of betel leaf extract and flour did not affect egg production, feed intake, and egg mass. But it improved the feed conversion ratio.

Antioxidant status, hematology, performance, organ and carcass evaluation of heat-stressed broiler chickens fed with dietary Bambusa vulgaris leaf meal

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of bamboo leaf meal (BLM) in broiler chicken feed to alleviate heat stress. Materials and Methods: This investigation was conducted following institutional policies guiding the handling of animals as approved for scientific research. 150 heat-stressed Arbor Acres broiler chickens were divided randomly into five dietary treatments, T1–T5, of 30 per treatment and 10 per replicate, to determine the consequence of feeding BLM on health and performance. Birds in T1–T4 were fed 0%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% BLM-included diets, respectively, while T5 had a 0.2% vitamin C-included diet. Results: Increasing dietary BLM positively impacted body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion rate (FCR), and stress indices levels. Broiler chickens had better feed intake (267 gm), weight gain (1,504 gm), and FCR (3.64) in T4. Serum glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde levels were not statistically different with increasing dietary BLM, while corticosterone levels were lower for chickens fed with dietary BLM. The superoxide dismutase index levels did not follow a particular pattern as dietary BLM increased. The hematology, carcass, and organ quality were unaffected by dietary BLM inclusion. Conclusion: BLM inclusions up to 2% in the broiler diet ameliorate heat stress conditions and improve performance without imposing any detrimental impact on the birds.

Improvement of egg internal quality of local ducks through star gooseberry leaf meal inclusion in ration.

The use of dried star gooseberry leaf extract (DSGLE) in rations and its effects on the egg internal quality of local ducks were examined. A total of 100 9-month-old local ducks weighing 1,406.25 ± 211.32 gm were randomly allocated into 5 treatments and 5 replicates in a completely randomized design. The birds were reared in 25 battery cages (4 birds each) and fed rations containing 0, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% DSGLE. Eggs of ducks fed DSGLE had significantly lower saturated fatty acid (SFA) (30.66%-32.53%) than those of control ducks (36.23%). Egg polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) increased from 2.29% (control) to 2.61% (2.0% DSGLE) and 2.76% (1.5% DSGLE), while egg monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) contents were not significantly different. The fatty acids of the whole edible part of eggs (albumen + yolk) were composed mainly of MUFA (40.19%-44.34%), followed by SFA (30.66%-36.22%), and PUFA (2.29%-2.76%). Malondialdehyde contents were reduced from 6.07 to 4.92 µg/gm (19%) in egg yolk and from 1.50 to 0.62 µg/gm (59%) in egg white, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values of the eggs were reduced from 0.93 to 1.65 (77%). The egg cholesterol level of ducks fed 2% DSGLE (21.94 mg/gm) was about 28.5% lower than that of eggs from control ducks (30.67 mg/gm) of eggs of control ducks. The egg white and egg yolk protein contents (12.31% and 16.35%) of treated ducks were lower than those in the control group (13.58% and 17.47%). The inclusion of SGLE in rations could be used to produce healthy duck eggs with no oxidative damage.

Effects of dried chaya leaf meal inclusion in the diet on growth performance and blood profiles in Thai native chicken (Pradu Hangdum).

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of using dried chaya leaf meal (DCLM) as a protein feed in a diet on growth performance, blood profiles, and carcass quality in a native Thai chicken. Eighty 14-day-old Pradu Hangdum chicks were divided into four groups with four replicates each: control (without DCLM), 10%, 20%, and 30% DCLM inclusion in mash feed. Growth performance was recorded weekly until 98 days of age. Blood profile, carcass quality, and visceral organ weight were measured at 98 days of age. The 10%-30% DCLM inclusion in the diet did not affect feed intake or feed efficiency; however, the body weight gain of chicks decreased linearly with the increase in DCLM inclusion. The heterophils, eosinophils, and monocytes were linearly increased with the increasing DCLM levels in the groups. The serum blood chemistry did not differ among the groups, while the AST in 10% and 20% DCLM was lower than in the control. Increasing the level of DCLM in the chicken diet did not affect carcass quality. The DCLM can be used as a feed ingredient in Thai native chicken feed up to 20%.

Effect of different fat levels and Moringa oleifera leaf meal inclusion on sensory attributes of chicken droëwors

Moringa oleifera Lam. is an innovative nutraceutical and nutritional plant for animal and human diets. The plant has potent essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, protein, and essential amino acids, with a relatively small quantity of antinutrients. Hence the increase of its use in medicinal remedies and traditional cuisines in many parts of the globe. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different fat levels and Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) inclusion on sensory attributes of chicken droëwors. A total of forty randomly selected consumers of different gender and age were used as the sensory panel. About 75% of lean chicken meat and 25% of chicken fat were used during droëwors preparation. The raw materials were divided into nine (9) treatments i.e., T1 (0% fat, 0% MOLM), T2 (0% fat, 0.25% MOLM), T3 (0% fat, 0.5% MOLM), T4 (10% fat, 0% MOLM), T5 (10% fat, 0.25% MOLM) T6 (10%, 0.5% MOLM), T7 (15% fat, 0% MOLM), T8 (15% fat, 0.25% MOLM) and T9 (15% fat, 0.5% MOLM). In terms of colour, when 0.5% MOLM was added consumers responded with low values, 6.74 and 6.14 in T3 and T9, respectively, compared to other treatments. The aroma scores in treatments that added no MOLM were significantly lower (P &lt; 0.05) than in other treatments with MOLM added, however, no significant difference was found in other treatments. Regarding texture, the consumer's panel in the current study responded with lower values (T3 = 6.35, T6 = 6.74, T9 = 5.81 when 0.5% MOLM was added. Meat flavour was significantly increased (P &gt; 0.05), where 0.25% MOLM was added. Overall preference score in chicken droëwors significantly increased (P &gt; 0.05) by adding 0.5% of MOLM in all the treatments; consumers liked chicken droëwors when 0.5% of MOLM was added. Droëwors with MOLM had higher (P &gt; 0.05). The inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaf meal in chicken droëwors significantly improved its sensory attributes.

Effect of Different Fat and Moringa oleifera Leaf Meal (MOLM) Inclusion Levels on Proximate Composition, Fatty Acid Profile, and Lipid Oxidation of Chicken Droëwors.

We present the first report on the effect of graded levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) (0, 0.25, and 0.5%) and fat (0, 10, and 15%) on fatty acid profile, lipid oxidation, and proximate composition of chicken droëwors. On triplicate samples of all treatments, proximate analysis was done, the total lipid was quantitatively extracted using chloroform and methanol in a ratio of 2 : 1, fatty acid profiles were determined, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured. The present study showed that droëwors manufactured with 0% fat inclusion had less fat and more protein than those made with 10% and 15% fat. All treatments contained a greater percentage of C18:1c9 (oleic) (30.95 to 32.65%) acid than other fatty acids and a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids than saturated. T9 (15% fat, 0.5% MOLM) had significantly (P < 0.05) higher PUFAs than T1 (0% fat, 0% MOLM) and T4 (10% fat, 0% MOLM). Treatments with 0.5% MOLM had significantly lower TBARS values after drying (0.01-0.07 mg MDA/kg) than treatments with 0% and 2.5% MOLM (0.05–0.15 mg MDA/kg). Therefore, MOLM inclusion at 0.25 and 0.5% effectively decreased TBARS of chicken droëwors with up to 15% fat inclusion after 72 h of drying and 168 h of storage and is a potentially good source of natural antioxidants for this traditional dried sausage product.

Effect of amaranth leaf meal on performance, meat, and bone characteristics of Ross 308 broiler chickens.

This study aimed to determine the effect of amaranth leaf meal (ALM) inclusion levels on the productivity of Ross 308 broiler chickens. A total of 200, day-old, Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments in a complete randomized design, with each group having four replicates with ten chicks each. Amaranth leaf meal inclusion levels used in this study were 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%. Bodyweight and feed intake were measured weekly to calculate the feed conversion ratio. Meat and bone traits of broiler chickens fed amaranth leaf meal at varying levels were also measured whereas the general linear model of statistical analysis software was used to analyze collected data. Amaranth leaf meal inclusion level had no effect (p > 0.05) on initial weight, final weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake of Ross 308 broiler chickens aged one to 42 days. Ross 308 broiler chickens which were given diets with 0 and 10% ALM inclusion levels, had higher (p < 0.05) cooking loss than those on diets with 5, 15, and 20% of ALM inclusion levels. Chickens fed with a diet having a 15% ALM inclusion level, had a greater (p < 0.05) tibia diameter than those on 0, 5, 10, and 20% ALM inclusion levels. Ross 308 broiler chickens which were fed with 5 and 15% ALM inclusion levels, had larger (p < 0.05) femur diameters than those on 0, 10, and 20% ALM inclusion levels. Ross 308 broiler chickens fed with diets having a 15% ALM inclusion level, had longer (p < 0.05) tibia lengths than those fed with diets having 0, 5, and 10% ALM inclusion levels. It can be concluded that amaranth leaf meal can be included in the diets of Ross 308 broiler chickens aged one to 42 days at 5, 10, and 15% levels without adverse effects on productivity, meat quality, and the bone characteristics of the chickens. This augurs well for poultry farmers in many parts of Africa where the production of vegetable amaranth is in abundance.

Effect of amaranth leaf meal on performance, meat and bone characteristics of Boschveld indigenous chickens

This study aimed to determine the effect of amaranth leaf meal inclusion on the performance, meat, and bone characteristics of indigenous Boschveld chickens. A total of 200, day-old, indigenous Boschveld chicks were randomly allocated to five dietary treatment levels in a completely randomised design, with each treatment having four replicates and each replicate having ten chicks. Amaranth leaf meal (ALM) inclusion levels used in this study were 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%. Bodyweight and feed intake were measured weekly to calculate the feed conversion ratio. Meat and bone characteristics were measured, and the general linear model of statistical analysis software was used to analyse collected data. Chickens which were offered diets with 0 and 10% ALM inclusion levels had higher (p < .05) breast meat weights than those which were offered diets with 5, 15, and 20%. Chickens that were offered diets with 15% ALM levels had higher (p < .05) abdominal fats weights than those offered diets with 0, 5, 10, and 20%. Chickens which were offered 20% ALM in their diets, had higher (p < .05) meat tenderness than those offered 0, 5, 10, and 15%. Chickens which were offered diets with 15% ALM had a lighter and redder (p < .05) breast meat colour than those offered 0, 5, 10, and 15% ALM inclusion levels. At the age of 21 and 42 days, chickens which were offered diets containing 5, 15, and 20% ALM had higher (p < .05) tibia calcium and phosphorus contents than those on diets having 0, and 10% ALM inclusion levels. Highlights Amaranth leaf meal inclusion in diets has no adverse effect on indigenous Boschveld chickens performance Amaranth leaf meal inclusion in diets increase meat tenderness and shear force of chickens Amaranth leaf meal showed to favour bone physical characteristics and more bone minerals deposition of indigenous Boschveld chickens.

Effects of the Inclusion of Star Gooseberry (Sauropus androgynus) Leaf Meal in Ration on Physical and Nutritional Quality of KUB Chicken Breast Meat

Local chickens are among the enormous poultry genetic sources in Indonesia. These chickens are potential to develop as they are found in big population throughout the country. Chicken meat is a nutritious food containing nutrients including carbohydrate, protein, fat, water, minerals, and vitamins in balanced proportion. Improvement of nutritive contents of Balitnak Superior Local Chicken (KUB chicken) meat can be achieved by providing the chickens with quality and nutritious feed. The inclusion of star gooseberry leaf meal can be an alternative as it is nutritious, cheap, and plenty. This study was aimed at assessing effects of star gooseberry leaf meal (SGLM) inclusion in ration on physical and nutritional quality of KUB chicken breast meat. Ninety-six (KUB chickens) aged 7 days were allocated into 4 treatments and 4 replicates in a completely randomized design. Treatments consisted of 0% SGLM inclusion in ration (R0), 1% SGLM inclusion in ration (R1), 2% SGLM inclusion in ration (R2), and 3% SGLM inclusion in ration (R3). Data were subjected to an analysis of variance (anova) and a Duncan test. Results showed that treatments significantly increased (P&lt;0.05) water but not (P&gt;0.05) ash, fat, and protein contents of breast meat. Meat water holding capacity, cooking loss, and tenderness were found to be improved (P&lt;0,05) but no different (P&gt;0.05) meat pH was observed.

Serum biochemistry of broiler chickens fed different levels of pawpaw leaf meal (PLM) in the diet

Ninety six 21 day- old unsexed broiler chickens were used for the study designed to evaluate the effect of different levels of pawpaw leaf meal on the serum biochemistry of broiler chickens. The experiment consisted of four treatment groups, each in three replicates of eight birds per replicate. The treatments reflect the different levels of inclusion of the pawpaw leaf meal: T1 (control 0 g/kg of PLM in feed), T2 (3 g/kg of PLM in feed), T3 (5 g/kg of PLM in feed) and T4 (7 g/kg of PLM in feed). The experiment was framed in a completely randomized design and lasted from the beginning of the fourth week till the end of the eight week (five weeks). Results showed that alanine amino transferase and globulin were significantly affected by treatments (p&lt;0.05), though values were still within the normal range reported in the literature for best physiological functions of broiler chickens. Pawpaw leaf meal inclusion in the diet did not affect the other biochemical indices studied. It was concluded that the immune vigilance of the chickens appeared not compromised by the inclusion of pawpaw leaf meal in the diet up to 7 g/kg inclusion level.

Carcass characteristics of broiler chickens fed varying dietary levels of Ficus thonningii leaf meal

The feeding trial was conducted to determine carcass characteristics of broiler chickens fed varying dietary levels of Ficus thonningii leaf meal. A total of ninety six (96) four weeks old broilers were used for the feeding trial. The birds were randomly assigned to four treatments namely; 0 g/kg (control) for T1, 2 g/kg for T2, 3.5 g/kg for T3, and 5 g/kg for T4 Ficus thonningii leaf meal in the diets, respectively. Each treatment had 24 birds and 8 birds per replicate. The results showed that treatment significantly affected live weight and carcass yield. The live weight for broiler chickens ranged from 2,420.00 g - 2,870.00 g with T1 (control) having the highest mean live weight of 2,870 g. Under the conditions of the present experiment, it may be concluded that the inclusion of Ficus thonningii leaf meal in broiler diets can promote carcass yield benefits when compared with the control. It was recommended that Ficus thonningii leaf meal can be included in the diet of broiler chickens up to 5 g/kg level for optimum performance

The Influence of Different Amaranth Leaf Meal Inclusion Levels on Performance, Blood Profiles, and Gut Organ Characteristics of Ross 308 Broiler Chickens.

This study aimed to determine the effect of varying inclusion levels of amaranth leaf meal on the performance, blood profiles, and gut organ characteristics of Ross 308 broiler chickens. A total of 200, day-old, Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments in a complete randomized design, with each group having four replicates with ten chicks. Amaranth leaf meal (ALM) inclusion levels used in this study were 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%. Body weight and feed intake were measured weekly to calculate the feed conversion ratio. Gut organ weights, lengths, organ pH, and blood profiles were measured and the general linear model of statistical analysis software was used to analyze collected data. ALM had no effect (p > 0.05) on feed intake, body weight, or the feed conversion ratio of Ross 308 broiler chickens between 1–21 and 22–42 days, respectively. Furthermore, ALM inclusion levels had no effect (p > 0.05) on dry matter (DM) or gross energy (GE) digestibility of Ross 308 broiler chickens. Ross 308 broiler chickens, which were fed with 5% ALM inclusion levels, had higher (p < 0.05) white blood cells, lymphocytes, and eosinophils than those fed with diets containing 0, 10, 15, and 20%. Chickens that were fed with 0 and 20% ALM inclusion levels had higher (p < 0.05) heterophils than those fed with diets containing 5, 10, and 15%. Chickens that were fed with 15% ALM inclusion levels had higher (p < 0.05) monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils than those fed with diets containing 0, 10, and 20%. Apart from Ile, ALM inclusion of 5 and 10% had higher (p < 0.05) essential and nonessential amino acid digestibility in Ross 308 broiler chickens. ALM inclusion levels had no effect (p > 0.05) on gut organ lengths or weights of Ross 308 broiler chickens aged 21 and 42 days. In conclusion, 5, 10, and 15% ALM inclusion levels can be included in broiler chicken diets as they showed favor in most of the affected parameters.

Performance of improved indigenous grower chicken in Kenya fed enzyme-treated Moringa (M. oleifera) leaf meal-based diets

A feeding trial was done to investigate the impact of the inclusion of enzyme-treated Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on feed conversion ratio, average daily gain, feed intake, and point of the lay of improved indigenous grower chicken. Ninety chickens were randomly allocated to six treatment diets in a completely randomized design with a factorial layout, with each treatment having five chickens per cage, replicated three times. The following were the dietary treatments used: T1-comprised of 0 kg MOLM and 0 g enzyme, T2-comprised of 0 kg MOLM and 0.035 g enzyme, T3-comprised of 20 kg MOLM and 0 g enzyme, and T4-comprised of 20 kg MOLM and 0.035 g enzyme, T5-diet comprised of 40 kg MOLM and 0 g enzyme, T6-diet comprised of 40 kg MOLM and 0.035 g enzyme of the diet, respectively. The statistical analysis system's general linear model (GLM) approach was used in the data analysis. Tukey's test (p

Effect of Graded Levels of Dietary Editan (Lasianthera africana) Leaf Meal on Productivity of Broiler Chickens

An experiment was conducted to determine the dietary effect of Editan ( Lasianthera africana ) leaf meal (ELM) on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. One hundred and five (105) day-old unsexed Ross 308 broiler chicks were used in a 56-day feeding trial. There were five dietary treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) replicated three (3) times and each had seven (7) birds per replicate with a total of 21 birds per treatment in a completely randomized designed (CRD).T1 was the control diet which had no Editan leaf meal (0% ELM), T2 contained 1% Editan leaf meal, T3 contained 2% Editan leaf meal, T4 contained 3% Editan leaf meal and T5 contained 4% Editan leaf meal respectively. The Editan leaf meal was incorporated into starter and finisher diets. Feed and water were given ad libitum . Results showed that at the starter phase diets had no significant (P&gt;0.05) effect on all the parameters measured for growth performance. During the finisher phase, inclusion of Editan leaf meal up to 4% improved the final weight gain, total weight gain, daily weight gain, feed intake and feed gain ratio. Editan leaf meal up to 4% did not also show any negative effect on the breast, thigh wing, and drumstick and on the internal organs: gizzard, pancreas, heart, bile duct and large intestine. In conclusion, inclusion Editan N ( Lasianthera Africana) leaf meal up to 4%at both the starter and finisher phases showed positive influence on productivity of broilers and recommended. Keywords: Editan Leaf Meal; Growth performance; Internal Organs; Broiler Chickens DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/12-10-04 Publication date: May 31 st 2022

Juvenis de Tilápias-do-Nilo alimentados com diferentes níveis de inclusão da moringa (Moringa oleifera) na dieta sob avaliação econômica

The objective was to evaluate levels of inclusion not yet tested of moringa leaf flour in the diet of Nile tilapia juveniles, under economic analysis. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four levels of inclusion of moringa leaf meal (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) and five repetitions, with 15 fish with an initial weight of 13.31 ± 0.74 in a 100-liter aquarium as an experimental unit, lasting 30 days. It was observed that the inclusion of this bran in the diet is not feasible, because as this ingredient was included, the feed increased and the profit decreased through the activity.

Dietary Inclusion of Scent Leaf Meal (Ocimum Gratissimum) Affects Immune Genes Expression in Chicken Spleen at 28 and 56 Days

This study was conducted to examine the effects of scent leaf meal (Ocimum gratissimum) on expression of inflammatory cytokines in the spleen of two chicken strains. A total of 150birds (75 of each strain) were randomly allotted into five dietary treatments at fifteen birds per treatment. Birds were fed diet containing varying levels of Ocimum gratissimum leaf meal. Treatment one (T1) had 0% OG, while treatment two (T2), treatment three (T3), treatment four (T4) and treatment five (T5) had 0.5% OG, 1.00% OG, 1.5% OG and 2% OG respectively. Feed and water was provided adlibitum throughout the feeding trial. Three birds were slaughtered from each treatment at day 28 and day 56, spleen samples were collected and stored using RNALater in a -20oc freezer prior to RNA extraction. Real-time qPCR was performed in 40cycles using the PowerUp SYBR Green reagent and analyzed with the 2-∆∆Ct method. Gene expression data were subjected to two-way analysis of variance. Strain effect was significantly different (P&lt;0.05) at both time points. All the genes studied significantly differed (P&lt;0.05) in their expression patterns at 28 and 56days of age. Increased inclusion rate of the test ingredients significantly (P&lt;0.05) reduced IL1β and NF-KB1, while increasing IL10 and NF-KB2. Ocimim gratissimum leaf meal shows promise in the regulation of inflammation in chickens and can be used to efficiently replace antibiotics in broiler production.

Effect of moringa leaf meal and season on blood and hormonal profile of the pearl guinea fowl (Numida meleagris)

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of moringa leaf meal and season on blood and hormonal profile of the Pearl Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) in the Middle belt of Ghana. Thirty-two (32) males and one hundred and twenty-eight (128) female Pearl Guinea fowls aged one-day-old were used for the study. A 3 x 4 factorial experimental design was used for the experiment. Data collected were analyzed using General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of Statistical Analysis System (SAS for Windows, version 7) and means were separated by the probability of difference (PDIFF) procedure of SAS (2008). Mean cell volume was highest (175.39 fl) among Guinea fowls fed with diet containing 12 % moringa leaf meal level. Guinea fowls fed with diet containing 15 % moringa leaf meal had the highest (3.44 x1012/L) red blood cells production. Eosinophil level was highest (3.95 x1012/L) among Guinea fowls fed with diet containing 9 % moringa leaf meal. Birds fed with the moringa diets recorded the highest (P= 0.022) WBC values as compared to the control diet. Triglycerides, high density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein levels increased (P&lt;0.05) with increasing levels of dietary moringa leaf meal in the diet. The highest (P= 0.0025) level of progesterone was observed among birds fed with diet containing 12 and 15 % moringa leaf meal inclusion levels. The level of sodium was highest (166.69 nmol/l) among Guinea fowls fed with diet containing 12 % moringa leaf meal. The major and minor rainy seasons recorded the highest (P&lt;0.05) mean cell hemoglobin, red blood cells, albumin and oestrogen levels. Platelets, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin and chlorine levels were highest (P&lt;0.05) in the dry season while basophil level was highest in the major rainy season. Cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and potassium levels were highest (P&lt;0.05) in the major rainy season. This study concludes that feeding Guinea fowls with moringa leaf meal had positive effect on some haematological, biochemical and hormonal parameters.