Study was conducted to investigate the effect of Polyalthia longifolia leaf aqueous extract (PLLAE) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood profile of broiler chickens at finisher phase. 180 broiler chicks was used for the experiment and the birds were weighed and randomly allotted into 5 treatments, 3 replicates and 12birds/replicate using completely randomized design and data collected were subjected to analysis of variance using SPSS version 21 and significant means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test of the same software. Treatment group one birds were not given any medication except vaccine (negative control without PLLAE), T2 serve positive control (given synthetic antibiotic), and T3, T4 and T5 were given 15g, 30g and 45g of Polyalthia longifolia/litre of water, respectively. The inclusion of PLLAE had no significant (P>0.05) effect on growth performance, it improved the survivability of the broiler and PLLAE at concentration of 45g per litre of water numerically improved the growth performance of broiler chickens compared to control diets. This established the antibacterial quality of the PLLAE in broiler production. Nutrient digestibility parameters were significant differently and considering the broilers on PLLAE, value increase with increase in the concentration of PLLAE. Treatment 3–5 had significantly higher white blood cell, also, lymphocyte, neutrophil and red blood cell were significantly higher under treatment 3, this establish the health status of the animal to the PLLAE. Cholesterol increased with increase concentration of PLLAE, thus the research indicates the hypercholesterolemia quality of the PLLAE. It was concluded that PLLAE can be used in any concentration used in this study without causing an adverse effect on the growth performance hence provide alternative synthetic antibiotics.

Medicinal plants are reservoir of bioactive compounds or phytochemicals (terpenoids, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and so on) with marked pharmacological properties such as; antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, analgesics, antiprotozoal, cytotoxic, anti-androgenic, antiviral, antipyretic, antitumor, anti-depressant, hypolipidemic and antihelminthic activities. This study was designed to examine the comparative analysis of ethanolic Juniperus thurifera leaf, stem bark and root extract using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Result obtained shows that Juniperus thurifera leaf extract contained 33 bioactive compounds which accounts to 75.47 % while Juniperus thurifera stem bark and root extract contained 37 and 50 phytochemicals with an aggregate of 80.77 % and 93.07 % respectively. Monoterpenes hydrocarbon (40.50 %), oxygenated monoterpenes (12.66 %), sesquiterpenes hydrocarbon (13.79 %) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes were found in Juniperus thurifera leaf extract while Juniperus thurifera stem bark and root extract contains monoterpenes hydrocarbon (48.72 %, 51.33 %), oxygenated monoterpenes (14.88 %, 20.49 %), sesquiterpenes hydrocarbon (10.71 %, 14.25 %) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (6.56 %, 7.88 %) respectively. It was concluded that Juniperus thurifera leaf, stem bark and root ethanolic extract contains several secondary metabolites which can be used for the treatment of diseases without causing any deleterious effect on the environment and general performance of animals.

No abstract

This experiment was carried to determine the growth performance of weaner rabbits fed Morinda citrifolia (Noni) and Moringa olifera leaf meal mixture (MCML) as partial replacement of Soybean meal (SBM). Fifty (50), 7-8 weeks bucks cross breed rabbits (Chinchilla × New Zealand White) with an average weight of 620g and 625g were allotted into five (5) dietary treatments of ten (10) rabbits per group and were individually caged in an all-wired metabolic cages. SBM was replaced by MCML at levels of 0%, 3%, 6%, 9% and 12% respectively and the experiment lasted for 98 days. Clean feed and water were provided ad libitum, experimental parameters covered feed intake, feed conversion ratio, daily water intake and mortality. The results of this experiment showed that there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the final weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and daily water intake across the treatment, diet containing 3% MCML had the highest weight gain of 1157.0g, while rabbits fed 0% MCML had the lowest weight gain of 1084.0g. Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed in the mortality rate of the animals, animals in treatment 1 had 3 mortalities, no mortality was recorded for rabbits in treatment 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. It can be concluded that MCML can be used to replace SBM in the diet of rabbits up to 12% inclusion level without affecting the general performance and the health of the animals.

A 42 days experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of dried Centella asiatica leaf meal (CSP) as an herbal feed additive on the growth performance, haematology and serum biochemistry of broiler chicken. A total of 200 Ross 308 day old broiler chicks of mixed sex was divided into four (4) treatment groups of fifty (50) birds, each group was further divided into five replicates each containing ten (10) birds. Group A was fed basal diet + 0% CPS (control), group B,C and D were fed basal diet + 2%, 4% and 6% CPS, respectively.The basal diet was formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of birds according to NRC (1994). Feed and water were provided unrestricted and a completely randomized design and birds were vaccinated according to the prevailing disease in the environment. The obtained results showed that there were significant (p<0.05) differences among all treatments in the values of final live weight, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Diet containing 6% CPS had the highest weight gain of 2072.9grams, while broilers fed 0% CPS had the lowest weight gain of 1534.7 grams. Supplementation of CPS did not affect (p>0.05) the daily feed intake and mortality rate. All the hematological (PCV, Hb, RBC, MCV, MCH, MCHC, WBC and its differentials) and serum biochemical parameters (Albumin, globulin, total protein, SGPT and SGOT) were not significantly (p>0.05) different among the treatments. It can be concluded that the inclusion of CPS at 6% enhanced the overall performance of the birds without causing any deleterious effect on the health of the animals.