Effect of Moringa oleifera extracts on physiological and meat quality responses of broiler chickens

PhD (Animal Science), North-West University, Mahikeng Campus

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of administering Moringa oleifera extracts through drinking water on broiler chicken growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, carcass yield, internal organs weight, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and bone parameters. The MLE, MSE, and MLSE were chemically analyzed and administered respectively in Chapters 3, 4, and 5 to determine their effects on the physiological and meat quality responses of Cobb 500 broiler chickens. Chapter 3 of this study hypothesized that administration of MLE improves growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, carcass yield, internal organs weight, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and bone parameters of Cobb 500 broiler chickens. The study did not reject the hypothesis and indicates that MLE administration increased weight growth, better FCR, enhanced nutrient digestibility, carcass yield, some internal organs weight, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and bone parameters in Cobb 500 broiler chickens while not compromising blood parameters. In Chapter 4, the tested hypothesis was accepted, and the results indicated that MSE administered orally has the potential to be used as an alternative to AGP in Cobb 500 broilers. MSE in drinking water enhanced FCR, calcium and phosphorus digestibility, certain blood parameters, carcass yield, internal organs weight, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and bone parameters in Cobb 500 broilers. In Chapter 5, the study aimed to determine the effect of the combination of MLE and MSE on the physiological and meat quality of Cobb 500 broilers. Water extraction of Moringa oleifera leaf and seed powder, followed by administration via drinking water, improved growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, carcass yield, internal organs weight, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and bone parameters in Cobb 500 broilers. Recommendations - Cobb 500 broiler chickens that were administered with moringa leaf extract, moringa seed extract, and moringa leaf + seed extract had the highest physiological performance and meat quality with regards to growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, carcass yield, internal organ weight, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and bone parameters. These effects need to be validated with further studies. • Although observations from this study showed that MLE, MSE, and MLSE have the potential to be administered as an alternative to AGP in broiler production, further investigations at higher dosages in drinking water are required, hence some of the findings in this study were not quite clear. Thus, there is need to conduct further studies using different extraction solvents and methods to ascertain the results. • Further studies should be conducted on the application of other extraction solvents and methods of extraction on M. oleifera leaf and seed powder. The studies should be conducted in communal areas in conjunction with farmers; in that way, they will gain more knowledge about the benefits of M. oleifera leaves and seeds and their properties. • Fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic and arachidonic acids found in chickens, undergo oxidative damage during storage. This leads to oxidative rancidity and nutritional losses when polyunsaturated fatty acids are oxidized, which break down into potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic products. Hence, it is important to determine the fatty acid profiles of broiler chicken, MLE, MSE, MLSE, and experimental diets. • It is important to determine the actual phytate content in M. oleifera leaves and seed powder before and after extraction and its influence on overall nutrient digestibility, growth performance, blood parameters, carcass yield, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and bone parameters. • Bone parameter analyses at all stages of growth should be conducted.

Doctoral