Abstract

Author:
Olugbenga David Oloruntola, Andrew Bamidele Falowo, Olumuyiwa Joseph Olarotimi, Simeon Olugbenga Ayodele, Emmanuel Kehinde Asaniyan, Olufemi Emmanuel Adeniji, and Ojurereoluwa Adebimpe Ayodele

Doi: 10.26480/mahj.02.2024.72.76

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

The poultry industry continually seeks innovative strategies to optimize broiler performance and address the challenges posed by tropical climates. This study evaluated the influence of Cashew Leaf Powder and a blend of Probiotic, Prebiotic, and Acidifier on the performance metrics of broiler chickens, focusing on parameters such as body weight gain, feed efficiency, and antioxidant enzyme activity, under the specific environmental conditions of tropical climates. A total of 240 day-old Cobb 500 broiler chickens (6 replicate/diet; 10 birds/replicate) were distributed across 4 dietary treatments: control/no supplement, 250 mg/kg blend of Probiotic, Prebiotic, and Acidifier, 2,500 mg/kg Cashew Leaf Powder and 250 mg/kg BPPA+2,500mg/kg Cashew Leaf Powder and labelled diets 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The broiler chickens’ body weight gain in supplemented diets (diets 2, 3, and 4) was significantly (P<0.05) greater than in diet 1 during the finishing phase (22-42 days) and overall growing period (1-42 days). The serum albumin concentrations were considerately (P<0.05) higher in diets 2, 3 and 4 than in diet 1, while aspartate aminotransferase levels were lower (P<0.05) in 2, 3 and 4 than in diet 1. The birds’ glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase levels were greater (P<0.05) in the 2, 3 and 4 than in diet 1. The 250 mg/kg blend of Probiotic, Prebiotic, and Acidifier and 500 mg/kg Cashew Leaf Powder dietary supplementation improved the birds’ body weight gain and antioxidant standing.