Prospects for the utilization of Senna obtusifolia products as protein supplements for poultry

Abstract

The scarcity and high cost of conventional ingredients are major factors limiting the growth of the poultry industry globally. This has driven research into alternative ingredients for poultry feeding. Senna obtusifolia or cassia, a widely distributed shrub, is invasive in many regions of the world. The seeds and leaves of the plant are moderate protein sources with the protein having an acceptable amino acid profile, especially essential amino acids. This nutritional profile of Senna obtusifolia products (seeds and leaves), coupled with their availability make them potential protein supplements for poultry feeding; however, the presence of several antinutritional factors ( ANFs ) (Oxalate, phytate, saponins, tannins and haemagglutinins) hinders their fullest use in the diet. In recent years, there has been increasing research interest into processing techniques to reduce the ANFs content and make these products safe for poultry feeding. Depending on birds age, fermented Senna seed meal may be included in the diet of broilers and cockerels up to 200 g/kg without compromising birds’ performance but raw meal as low as 50 g/kg exerts antinutritional effects. More research is needed into maximum utilization of Senna products to reduce cost of production on smallholder to medium scale poultry farms. Newer processing methods will need to be developed in response to the increasing market price of conventional protein sources.

Growth Performance of Clarias gariepinus Fingerlings Fed Fermented Canavalia ensiformis Seed Meals

“…This present study showed that fermentation and inclusion levels both affected the weight gained. This agrees with the findings of some studies [40][41][42][43][44] , that one of the major limitations of using alternative plant protein sources in fish feeding is the changes in palatability and the presence of anti-nutrition factors in the ingredient. The reduction in feed intake due to the unpalatability may lead to deterioration in growth performance and feed utilization.…”

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on Fermentation Quality and Anti-Nutritional Factors of Paper Mulberry Silage

“…What is more, oxalate and phytate also show negative impact on protein and lipid utilization [35]. Values of 5 g•kg −1 and 20 g•kg −1 oxalate in diet cause toxicity to monogastric and ruminant animals, respectively [36]. The content of phytic acid, an anti-nutritional factor in fava beans, ranges from 19.65 g•kg −1 DM to 22.85 g•kg −1 DM.…”

“…But in this study, the content of oxalic acid and phytic acid in PM was 0.89 g•kg −1 and 1.27 g•kg −1 DM, respectively, indicating that oxalate and phytate in PM showed no negative impact. Researchers have reported that diets with more than 5 g total tannin/kg would reduce fodder intake in chickens and increase mortality in rats [36]. In addition, young animals were more sensitive to dietary TT than adult animals.…”

Effects of fermented cottonseed meal inclusions on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters and hepatic lipid metabolism of geese during 28–70 d of age

“…The growth of the poultry industry globally can be limited by the scarcity and high cost of conventional feedstuffs ( Diarra, 2021 ), leading us to find alternative feedstuffs for poultry. Soybean meal ( SBM ) was widely used in poultry diets due to the good nutritional value with high digestibility of crude protein ( CP ) and amino acids ( AA ).…”