Background: Following the prohibition of in-feed antibiotics, poultry nutritionists are increasingly interested in the use of functional feed. Unripe banana flour (UBF) contains significant amounts of oligosaccharides (which may act as prebiotics) and antioxidants, making it a potential functional feed for broilers. However, research on the use of UBF as a functional feed ingredient for broilers is limited. Objectives:The study investigated the effect of UBF with or without probiotic and multienzyme on growth, internal organ weight and carcass characteristics of broilers.Methods: A total of 392 broiler chicks were distributed into 4 groups included CONT (chicks receiving control feed), UBF (chicks receiving 5% UBF in feed), UBFPRO (5% UBF plus 0.05% probiotics) and UBFZYM (5% UBF plus 0.05% multienzyme). Data on growth performance were weekly recorded, whereas data on internal organs and carcass were collected on day 38.Results: Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lower (p < 0.05) in UBF, UBFPRO and UBFZYM than that in CONT chicks, with no significant difference in body weight, body weight gain and feed intake. There was a tendency that gizzard was higher (p = 0.08) in CONT than in UBF chicks. Also, pancreas tended (p = 0.09) to be lower in UBFZYM than in CONT birds. There was a notable effect (p < 0.05) of dietary treatments on the yellowness (b*) values of thigh meats, in which UBFPRO had lower b* values than that of CONT but did not differ from that of UBF and UBFZYM. There was no difference (p < 0.05) in carcass and commercial proportion of broilers.Conclusions: Feeding of 5% UBF with or without probiotic and multienzyme improved FCR, without negatively affecting the carcass characteristics of broilers.

Background: The study evaluated the effect of unripe banana flour (UBF) given individually or in combination with probiotics or multienzymes on blood profile, serum biochemical parameters and intestinal indices of broilers. Methods: A 392 broiler chicks were assigned to four groups (each with seven replicates) included CONT (birds provided with control feed), UBF (birds provided with 5% UBF in feed), UBFPRO (5% UBF plus 0.05% probiotics) and UBFZYM (5% UBF plus 0.05% multienzyme). Blood and intestinal segment and digesta were collected at days 21 and 38. Results: At day 21, the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) value in UBF was lower (p < 0.05) than in UBFPRO. At day 38, haemoglobin levels in UBFZYM were higher (p < 0.05) than in CONT and UBF. Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were higher (p < 0.05) in UBFZYM than in the other groups. UBFZYM had higher (p < 0.05) leukocyte counts than CONT. Uric acid levels in UBFZYM were lower (p < 0.05) than in CONT at day 21. At day 38, UBFPRO chicks had lower (p = 0.05) pH values in the duodenum than other groups. UBFZYM had higher (p = 0.05) pH values in the ileum, while UBFPRO had higher (p = 0.05) pH values in the caecum than the CONT groups. Lactic acid bacteria were found in higher (p < 0.05) concentrations in the ileum of UBFPRO and UBFZYM than in the CONT at day 38. The lactic acid bacteria to coliform ratio in UBFPRO and UBFZYM ileums was also higher (p = 0.07) than in CONT. At day 38, the crypt depth of the duodenum in UBFZYM was lower (p < 0.05) than in CONT. The duodenum villus height to crypt depth ratio was higher (p < 0.05) in UBFZYM than in the other groups. The villus height to crypt depth ratio in the UBF ileum was higher (p < 0.05) than in the CONT. When compared to CONT broilers, UBF, UBFPRO, and UBFZYM broilers had higher (p < 0.05) daily weight gain and feed efficiency. Conclusions: Broiler growth performance was improved when UBF was given alone or in combination with probiotics or multienzymes. The use of probiotics or multienzymes in combination with UBF improved intestinal bacterial population, while multienzymes improved broiler physiology and intestinal morphology.

<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study were to evaluate the inclusion of Indigofera leaf meal (ILM) in the ration on the carcass and non-carcass production, meat chemical composition and feces-derived methane yield of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty eights male NZW rabbits with initial body weight of 1455.25 ± 142.41 g, and 65-70 d old were used in this study. There were four treatments namely basal feed (T0); inclusion 4% (T1); 8% (T2), and 12% of ILM (T3) in the ration. The ration was made in form of pellet, and iso-protein that containing 16% of crude protein (CP). The observed variables were carcass and non-carcass production, meat nutrient content and feces-derived methane production.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study result showed that inclusion of ILM in the rabbit ration up to 12% gave no significant effect (P&gt;0.05) on the carcass and non-carcass production, nutrient content of the rabbit meat (CP, extract ether, moisture and ash) both in <em>Longis</em><em>si</em><em>mus dorsi</em> (LD) and <em>Bicep</em><em> </em><em>femoris</em> (BF) muscles. The moisture concentration in LD muscle showed lower than that in BF muscle, while EE content of LD was higher than that in BF muscle. The result also showed that the incorporation of ILM in the ration up to 12% gave no significant effect (P&gt;0.05) on the methane production of rabbit feces.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The treatments gave no impact on the observed variables. Therefore, ILM can be used as a protein source in male growing rabbit ration at least up to 12%.</p><p> </p>