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Effects of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Powder on the Growth Performance, Meat Quality, Blood Parameters, and Cecal Bacteria of Broilers
by
, , , , , and
Md G. Akib
1
,
Al Rifat
1, 
Chondhon Bormon
1,
Amitush Dutta
1,
Mohammad Shamsul Ataher
1,
Mahmoud Azzam
2
,
Mohammed Hamdy Farouk
3
,
Razib Das
4
,
Md Abul Kalam Azad
5
and
Shad Mahfuz
1,*
1
Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
2
Animal Production Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
3
Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo 11884, Egypt
4
Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
5
Institute of Subtropical Agricultural, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vet. Sci. 2024, 11(8), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11080374
Submission received: 21 June 2024
/
Revised: 31 July 2024
/
Accepted: 13 August 2024
/
Published: 14 August 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Monogastric Farm Animal Microbiome and Metabolome)
Simple Summary
This study evaluated the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) on the growth performance, meat quality, carcass traits, blood profile, and cecal bacteria of broiler chickens. MLP-fed broilers showed the highest weight gain, average daily feed intake, and best feed efficiency, as evidenced by a lower feed conversion ratio. MLP also enhanced meat quality, indicated by higher pH, lower cooking loss, and reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Positive impacts on the blood profile included increased red blood cell count, higher hemoglobin levels, and a lower stress indicator (H/L ratio). Additionally, MLP positively changed the cecal bacterial population by reducing harmful E. coli and Shigella spp. while increasing beneficial Lactobacillus spp. Thus, MLP is a promising natural feed additive for improving broiler growth, meat quality, overall health, and producing antibiotic-free and healthier broilers for consumers.
Abstract
The effect of dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) on the growth, meat quality, carcass characteristics, hematobiochemical profile, and cecal bacteria of broiler chicken was investigated in this research trial. In this study, 192-day-old Arbor Acre broiler chicks were assigned in a completely randomized design to three groups: control, antibiotic, and MLP. A standard basal diet was given to the control group, while the antibiotic group received 75 mg/kg chlortetracycline, and the MLP group received 100 mg/kg M. oleifera leaf powder supplemented basal diet. Each group was further divided into eight replicates consisting of eight birds each, and the trial ran for 35 days. Among the groups, the MLP-fed broilers achieved the highest final body weight (FBW), average daily gain (ADG), and average daily feed intake (ADFI). Notably, the FCR for the whole experimental period was lower in the MLP group, indicating a more efficient use of feed for growth. Supplementation of MLP with basal diet significantly increased (p < 0.05) the weight of thighs and drumsticks relative to live weight %, while the spleen and abdominal fat weight (% of live weight) were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Adding MLP to the diet improved the meat quality of broilers, as indicated by the highest pH of meat at 45 min and the lowest cooking loss (%) observed in this group. MLP exhibited hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic effects, with the lowest total cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to non-supplemented groups. The hematological profile revealed that the MLP group exhibited the highest RBC count and Hb level, while also showing the lowest H/L ratio. Moringa supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) modulated the cecal bacterial population, reducing pathogenic E. coli and Shigella spp. while increasing beneficial Lactobacillus spp. and the total aerobic plate count (TAPC). In conclusion, Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) can be used as a natural feed supplement for promoting the growth, meat quality, healthy blood, and sound health of broilers.
