Performance of Broiler Chicks on Oral Administration of Ethanol Extracts of Scent Leaf and Alligator Pepper Seeds

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the ability of scent leaf (Ocimum gratissimum) and alligator pepper seeds (Aframomum melegueta) ethanol extracts to be used as natural additives in broiler production as alternatives to antimicrobials, due to growing concerns about antimicrobial resistance and drug residues in poultry. This experiment involved 240 day-old chicks, arranged in 2 × 4 factorial in a completely randomized design, to measure growth performance, serum biochemistry and haematological indices after being fed 0, 10, 15 or 20 ml of each extract/l of drinking water. Scent leaf extract (SLE) significantly affected final weight (1021.40 g/b), daily gain (42.93 g/b/d), and feed intake (69.59 g/b/d) compared to alligator pepper seed extract (APSE) samples, and a significant interaction between herb type and dosage was found for final weight (1155.30 g/b), daily gain (49.23 g/b/d), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (1.43). The serum biochemistry was generally not affected except for ALT which was found to be higher at 10ml/L dosage and haematological parameters were also not significantly affected (Haemoglobin was the highest in the control group 11.85g/dl). The overall results show that feeding broilers with scent leaf ethanol extract at 10 ml of water per litre shows superior growth promoting effects and improved feed efficiency, making it a potential phytogenic alternative to synthetic antibiotics in broiler starter phase.