Supplementing Broiler Chicken Diet with Uvaria chamae Leaf Meal: Effects on Immune Response, Gut Microbial Population and Growth Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to determine how supplementing Uvaria chamae leaf meal (UCLM) affects growth performance and a few hematological markers of broiler chicken. For a 56-day study, 500 one-day-old (Ross 307) broiler chicks were randomly assigned to five treatments, each consisting of 100 birds. Standard feed was formulated according to the nutritional standards for broilers. Treatment 1 (T1) was fed a standard diet with 0.25 g/kg oxytetracycline while T2, T3, T4, and T5 were provided a standard diet supplemented with UCLM at 5g, 10g, 15g, and 20g, respectively. The treatments had a significant impact on body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and mortality. In contrast, the mortality rate and Escherichia coli counts were higher in T1 and T2 compared to other groups, whereas body weight gain was higher in T2, T3, T4, and T5 compared to T1. Regarding crude fiber digestibility and average daily feed intake, there was no statistically significant difference. The dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, ash digestibility, hemoglobin, packed cell volume, red blood cell, lymphocytes, monocytes, immunoglobulin A, Y, and M and Lactobacillus sp. counts of the birds supplemented with UCLM at 2 g/kg (T2), 4 g/kg (T3), 6 g/kg (T4), and 8 g/kg (T5) were similar but significantly greater than those of T1 (0.25 g/kg oxytetracycline). It was determined that broilers' diets can include up to 20 g/kg of UCLM supplementation without harming the birds' health.