Evaluation of Two Herbal Products (Fagara Zanthoxyloides Fruit Meal and Ocimum Americanum Leaf Meal) as Growth Promoters in Broiler Diets

Abstract

This study evaluated Fagara zanthoxyloides fruit meal (FFM) and Ocimum americanum leaf meal (OLM) as growth promoters in broiler diets as replacements for antibiotics. A total of 400 one-day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks were used for the experiment. The birds were initially raised together on a common starter diet for a week and on day 8, distributed into eight dietary treatment groups in a completely randomized design for six more weeks. The treatment diets were as follows: BD = Basal diet; 0.2FFM = BD + 0.2% FFM; 0.4FFM = BD + 0.4% FFM; 0.2OLM = BD + 0.2% OLM; 0.4OLM = BD + 0.4% OLM; 0.1FFM+0.1OLM = BD + 0.1% FFM + 0.1% OLM; 0.2FFM+0.2OLM = BD + 0.2% FFM + 0.2% OLM; PEN = BD + 0.01% Penicillin V. Each treatment was replicated five times with 10 birds in each replicate. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The parameters measured include growth performance, carcass characteristics, apparent whole tract nutrient digestibility, nitrogen excretion, serum lipid profile, and faecal microbial count. Data collected were all subjected to analysis of variance using Genstat statistical software (12th edition, 2009), and means with significant differences were separated with Student Newman-Keuls test at a probability of 5%. The results show no significant effects (p>0.05) of FFM, OLM, and penicillin on growth performance, carcass characteristics, digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, ash and crude fibre, nitrogen excretion, serum lipid profile, and counts of faecal pathogenic microbes when compared with birds fed BD. Fat digestibility and faecal microbial load were lowered (p<0.05) by FFM, OLM, and penicillin. Birds fed PEN recorded the least faecal count of yeasts and moulds similar (p>0.05) to that fed 0.4FFM and 0.4OLM. In conclusion, inclusion of FFM and OLM alone or in combination up to 0.4% in diets of broilers did not promote growth performance.