Production performance, immune indices, and caecal microbiota in broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with Morinda lucida leaf powder

The study examined the impact of dietary supplementation of Morinda lucida leaf powder (MLLP) in comparison with oxytetracycline on growth performance, nutrient retention, blood chemistry, immune indices, and caecal microbiota in broiler chickens. A total of 240 1-day old Abor acres chicks were randomly assigned to either of four dietary treatments and fed for 42 days. The treatments were T1, basal diet without antibiotics; T2, basal diet + 0.6 g/kg oxytetracycline; T3, basal diet + 1 g/kg MLLP; and T4, basal diet + 2 g/kg MLLP. Each treatment was replicated six times with ten birds per replicate. Dietary supplements improved (P <= 0.05) body weight gain at the finisher phase. Diets had no effect on nutrient retention, and relative organ weights. The T1 birds had higher (P <= 0.05) leucocytes and lower (P <= 0.05) erythrocytes than the birds fed other diets. Serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were lower (P <= 0.05) in the T3 and T4 birds than in T1 and T2 birds. Splenic interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-6 and serum IgA did not differ (P <= 0.05) among the treatments. The T4 birds had higher (P <= 0.05) splenic interleukin-10 than birds fed other diets. Serum IgG and caeca E. coli count were higher (P <= 0.05) in the T1 birds than in the birds fed other diets. Salmonella count was higher (P <= 0.05) in T1 and T3 birds compared with T2 and T4 birds. The T3 and T4 birds had higher lactobacillus count than the T2 birds. Dietary supplementation of 2 g/kg MLLP exhibited antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties in a similar manner to oxytetracycline in broiler chickens.