INFLUENCE OF AQUEOUS CHROMOLAENA ODORATA (SIAM WEED) LEAF EXTRACT ON THE PERFORMANCE, IMMUNOLOGICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL INDICES OF BROILER CHICKEN

Abstract

A 42-day trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of Aqueous Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed) leaf extract (ACOLE) on the growth performance, immunology and histological indices of broiler chickens. A total of 200 day old broiler chicks were randomly allotted into four (4) treatment groups consisting of five (5) replicates of 10 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. Aqueous COLE was administered in their water served on daily basis at 0, 5, 10 and 15mL/L to represent four treatment groups; T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. At the end of the study, data were collected on
growth performance, blood samples were collected at day 0, 12 and 42 to conduct immunological assessment of the birds and samples of the intestine and liver were collected for histological evaluation. All data collected were subjected to one-way analysis of variance. The Results obtained showed that there were no significant (P>0.05) differences on all growth parameters evaluated except in feed Conversion Ratio (FCR). Birds in T2 had the best FCR values (1.95). Administration of
ACOLE had no significant influence (P>0.05) on immunological indices of broiler chickens for day 0 and day 42 but there was significant difference on day 12. The immunity (3.00 – 4.00) of the birds increased as ACOLE inclusion levels decreased. ACOLE had effect (P<0.05) on the histopathologicalindices observed in this study, ACOLE had some considerable level of protective effect on the liver with no negative influence on the intestine except for those on T4, (15mL/L ACOLE) where atrophy of villi, necrosis and cystic dilation of crypts was observed. Conclusively, the administration of 5mL/L ACOLE had the best FCR and posed a considerable level of protective effect on the liver sampled
across the treatment groups.