Nutritional evaluation of Picralima nitida seed powder in diets of broiler chickens

Resistance of microbes to synthetic drugs necessitates the use of phyto-additives as organic-based medications in poultry diets. A natural alternative is Picralima nitida with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities that can be exploited in poultry nutrition. This study, therefore, evaluated the response of broiler chickens to Picralima nitida seed powder (PnSP). A total of 150-day-old Arbor Acre chicks were divided into 5 dietary treatments with 3 replicates of ten birds each. In a completely randomized design, the starter (21 days) and finisher (28 days) diets for the chickens were 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2% PnSP-based. Average Daily Gain (ADG), Average Daily Feed Intake (ADFI), Feed to Gain Ratio (FGR), Performance Efficiency Index (PEI), carcass (cut-up parts), selected organs and intestinal morphometry were evaluated. Data collected were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance and treatment means separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test. At the starter phase, ADG increased (p=0.04) with the use of PnSP, and the optimal value was obtained at 0.15%, and the best (p=0.04) PEI 171.91 was obtained in chickens subjected to 0.1% PnSP. Abdominal fat (p<0.001) decreased in broilers fed PnSP-supplemented diets while the highest (p=0.01) thigh weight was obtained from chickens fed 0.1% PnSP supplemented diet. In conclusion, supplementing 0.2%PnSP in broiler diet had no adverse effect on the performance and carcass characteristics of broilers, however, 0.1% PnSP gave the optimum inclusion level