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SUMMARY
Moringa oleifera is known as a miracle tree due to its amazing nutritional and therapeutic
properties. Considering its nutritional value, Moringa oleifera leaf powder can be used as a
non-conventional ingredient in poultry diets. This study was conducted to investigate the effect
of the replacement of canola meal (CM) with Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) on growth
performance, blood hematology, and immune response in broilers. Two-hundred-twenty one-
day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were reared in one group for a wk (adaptation period). At 8 d
of age, 150 chicks of similar body weight (±5g) were selected and randomly divided into 15
experimental units, each comprising 10 chicks. These experimental units were further allocated
to 5 treatment groups that were fed Ration A (control), B, C, D, and E, containing 8% CM and
0% MOLP, 6% CM and 2% MOLP, 4% CM and 4% MOLP, 2% CM and 6% MOLP, and 0%
CM and 8% MOLP, respectively. The experimental diets were fed to the broilers for a period
of 31 d. The results of the present study suggest that replacement of CM with MOLP as a
vegetable protein source can enhance the immune response to Newcastle disease and infectious
bursal disease vaccination without any change in weight gain, body organ weight, and blood
hematology in broilers. The results also indicate that replacement of CM with MOLP results in
higher feed intake with some negative effects on FCR in broilers.
time once the tree is grown. The MOLP contains Table 1. Analyzed Nutrient composition and
essential amino acid profile of Moringa oleifera
27.5 to 30.29% crude protein, on a dry matter leaf powder (MOLP) and Canola Meal (CM).
basis, of good quality with significant quantities
Component MOLP CM
of essential amino acids like lysine, methion-
ine, threonine, tryptophan, histidine, isoleucine, DM % 89.9 88.2
CP % 29.0 35.6
leucine, and phenylalanine [1, 4, 5, 6], which
CF% 9.31 12.1
is quite comparable to the composition of some EE % 1.70 2.91
traditional protein-rich ingredients available for
Amino acid (g/100 g Protein)
Table 2. Ingredients and nutrient composition of the micro hematocrit method [20]. Hemoglobin val-
experimental diets.
ues were determined by Sahli’shemometer. The
Diets mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular
Ingredient A 1
B 2
C3 D4 E5 hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin
Corn 34 34 34 34 34 concentration also were calculated as described
Wheat 13 14 13 12 12 by Campbell [21], and differential leukocyte
Rice broken 10 10 10 10 10 counts as described by Ghai [22].
Sorghum 3.0 3 3 3 3 The data, thus collected, were subjected to sta-
Table 3. Production performance of broilers fed rations replacing canola meal with
Moringa oleifera leaf powder (8 to 38 d of age).
Parameter\Diets A1 B2 C3 D4 E5 SEM
BW gain∗ (g) 1514.0 1504.3 1520.7 1508.7 1496.3 10.61
Feed intake∗ (g) 2736c 2772b,c 2822a,b 2848a 2875a 13.19
FCR∗ 1.81c 1.84b,c 1.86b,c 1.89a,b 1.92a 0.012
a–c
Values within the same row having different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05).
∗
Weight gain, feed intake, and FCR data were corrected for mortality.
1–5
Table 4. Dressing % and relative organ weight (g/100g live weight) of broilers fed
rations replacing canola meal with Moringa oleifera leaf powder.
Parameter\Diets A1 B2 C3 D4 E5 SEM
Dressing % 61.49 60.88 64.88 60.90 60.95 1.56
Heart 0.37 0.39 0.36 0.37 0.39 0.031
Gizzard 1.57 1.63 1.62 1.69 1.68 0.108
Liver 2.08 2.56 2.52 2.40 2.64 0.298
Kidney 0.65 0.65 0.67 0.62 0.67 0.075
Spleen 0.06 0.08 0.07 0.08 0.07 0.006
Values within the same row having no superscripts differ non-significantly (P > 0.05).
1–5
See footnotes of Table 2.
tannin toxicity than egg type pullets. This is why The results of the present study showed that
the adaptation period of one wk was observed in the feeding of MOLP had no effect on car-
the present study—to avoid the negative effects cass and internal body organs’ weight (Table 4).
of tannin present in MOLP during early age in Dressing percentage and relative weight of
broilers. organs—such as the heart, gizzard, liver, kidney
The results of the present study confirmed and spleen—of broilers was found to be non-
the findings of El-Tazi [27] who reported that significantly different (P > 0.05) and within the
feed intake was increased with no change in normal range for the all dietary treatment groups.
weight gain in broilers when the inclusion level However, dressing percentage was numerically
of MOLP was increased up to 7% in the ra- higher (64.88%) for the broilers that received a
tion. El-Tazi [27] argued that the lower weight ration containing 4% CM and 4% MOLP. The
gain of birds fed on 7% MOLP diet, despite its present results confirmed the findings of Zanu
higher CP content, might be due to the anti- et al. [13] who observed no effect of MOLP
nutritional factors present in MOLP. Contrar- feeding on carcass weight and relative weight of
ily, Tesfaye et al. [28] reported a decrease in organs in broilers. In contrast, Ayssiwede et al.
feed intake with no significant differences in [29] observed a significant increase in relative
weight gain when broilers were fed rations in weight of organs in broilers when fed on MOLP.
which soybean meal was replaced with MOLP. All the values of blood parameters were found
They concluded that this decrease in feed intake to be within normal range and not affected
might be due to the un-palatability of experi- (P > 0.05) by MOLP supplementation as shown
mental diets caused by MOLP, but this prob- in Table 5. Therefore, it can be concluded that
lem was not evident in the present study. On neither the MOLP supplementation nor its lev-
the other hand, Onu and Aniebo [10] observed els had any effect on the blood hematology of
a significant increase in weight gain and feed the birds. Fluctuations within normal range in
efficiency in broilers fed MOLP (7.5% of the the blood values is a normal phenomenon and
diet); however, this increase in production per- may be associated with the physiological status
formance was due to higher protein content of of the birds. The results of the current study are
the MOLP diets (feed containing 7.5% MOLP in agreement with the results of previous studies
was 4.5% higher in CP as compared to the control in which various levels of MOLP did not produce
diet). any difference in the blood hematological values
356 JAPR: Research Report
Table 5. Blood Hematological values in broilers fed rations replacing canola meal with
Moringa oleifera leaf powder.
Parameter\Diets A1 B2 C3 D4 E5 SEM
RBC’s (x 10 6 μL) 1.63 1.50 1.63 1.72 1.67 0.08
WBC’s(x 10 3 μL) 288 288 279 267 284 9.90
Hb (g/dL) 9.2 7.8 8.3 8.6 9.3 0.70
MCV (fl) 160.7 163.7 163.7 158.3 158.7 5.64
MCH (pg) 57.7 52.3 51.0 57.7 61.3 3.01
MCHC (g/dl) 36.0 31.0 31.7 32.3 39.7 2.44
Table 6. Antibody titer against ND and IBD vaccination in broilers fed rations replacing
canola meal with Moringa oleifera leaf powder.
Parameter\Diets A1 B2 C3 D4 E5 SEM
b a a a b
Antibody titer 103.0 362.0 376.7 376.7 188.3 69.27
against ND (GM6 )
Antibody titer 51.5c 145.7b 133.2b 170.7a,b 206.0a 26.40
against IBD (GM6 )
a–c
Values within the same row having different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05).
1–5
See footnotes of Table 2.
6
Geometric Mean.
of birds [30, 31]. Contrarily, Onu and Aniebo tion that might be due to some unknown rea-
[10] observed a significant decrease in red blood son or error. It has been reported that supple-
cell count due to the supplementation of MOLP mentation of MOLP in broiler diets can boost
in broilers. The lower value of red blood cells the antibody titer in birds against these diseases
was suggested to be due to the higher concentra- [11]. Increased antibody titer in the birds using
tion of tannin in the diet containing MOLP. The MOLP may be due to the presence of lectin in
difference in the results of these studies might the leaves of moringa that modulates the body’s
be due to the difference in the ingredients re- defense system [7] and therefore is claimed to
placed in the experimental rations and the levels be an immune-boosting plant, which helps the
of MOLP used. body to build up its defense against diseases. It
The results of the present study revealed that also has been suggested that dietary inclusion
the gradual replacement of CM with MOLP ex- of MOLP in the ration as an immune booster is
hibited a significant (P < 0.05) effect on anti- more beneficial in broiler production [13].
body titer against ND vaccination (NDV) and
IBD vaccination (IBDV) (Table 6). Among di-
etary treatment groups, the highest antibody titer CONCLUSION AND APPLICATION
against IBDV was recorded in birds that received
diet E containing 8% MOLP. Among the birds 1. It appears from the results of the present study
receiving MOLP in the diet, the lowest antibody that MOLP, when used as a substitute of CM,
titer against IBDV was observed in the birds that has an immune-modulating effect rather than
received diet B containing 2% MOLP, which was a performance-enhancing effect. The MOLP
still higher than the control group. The antibody inclusion of up to 6% of the diet was bene-
titer against NDV in broilers was improved with ficial for antibody titer against ND and IBD
the gradual increase in dietary MOLP level, with without any considerable compromise in pro-
the exception of birds on 8% MOLP. The anti- duction performance of broilers.
body titer in broilers on 8% dietary MOLP was 2. Results from this study indicate that feeding
significantly lower than all other dietary MOLP MOLP to broilers did not affect blood hema-
levels, which seemed to be an unusual observa- tological values.
LIAQAT ET AL.: MORINGA LEAF FEED FOR BROILERS 357
3. Further evaluation of MOLP as an alternate Moringa oleifera lam leaves effective against two leukemias
protein source for broiler diets is recom- and a hepatocarcinoma. Afri. J. Biotechnol. 9:8467–8471.
mended. 13. Zanu, H. K., P. Asiedu, A. Tampuori, M. Abada, and
I. Asante. 2011. Possibilities of using Moringa oleifera leaf
4. It is also suggested to evaluate the nutrients meal as a partial substitute for fish meal in broiler chickens
in Moringa oleifera leaves on a digestibility diets. J. Anim. Feed. Res. 2:70–75.
basis so that an accurate nutrient profile of 14. AOAC International. 2007. Official Methods of
Analysis of AOAC International. 18th ed. Rev. AOAC Int.,
MOLP can be produced. Gaithersburg, MD.
15. Chioma, J. O., and J. O. Akaninwor. 2013. The protein
and economics results of growing indigenous Senegal chick- 31. Ogbe, A. O., and J. P. Affiku. 2012. Effect of
ens. Pak. J. Nutr. 10:1132–1145. Polyherbal Aqueous Extracts (Moringa oleifera, Gum
30. Olugbemi, T. S., S. K. Mutayoba, and F. P. Lekule. arabic and wild Ganoderm alucidum) in comparison
2010b. Effect of moringa (Moringa oleifera) inclusion in with antibiotic on growth performance and hematologi-
cassava based diets fed to broiler chickens. Int. J. Poult. Sci. cal parameters of broiler chickens. Res. J. Recent Sci.
9:363–367. 1:10–18.