Journal of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Carica papaya (CP) and Chromolaena odorata (CO) on growth performance, blood profile, gut integrity of broiler chicken. In a 42-day study, 200 one-day old Arbor Acre broilers were weighed and randomly allotted to 5 dietary treatments with 5 replicates having 8 birds in each group. The treatments were basal diet (negative control, NC), NC + 0.05% antibiotics (positive control, PC), NC + 3% CP, NC + 3% CO and NC + 1.5% CP + 1.5% CO in a completely randomised design. The growth performance indices were measured. On day 42, blood samples were collected, gut microbial population and histopathology were assayed following standard procedure. Results showed that average daily weight gain (g/bird/day) of birds on NC, PC and combination of 1.5% CP + 1.5% CO leaf meals were significantly similar at the finisher phase. The feed intake of birds on NC and PC was higher than those on 3% CO and combination of 1.5% CP + 1.5% CO leaf meals. The dietary treatment had effect on feed conversion ratio in the finisher phase. The highest total Lactobacillus count was observed in 3% CO leaf meal diet, while the antibiotics diet (PC) had the highest Escherichia coli count, and the lowest total Escherichia coli count (3.28 cfu x10⁵) was recorded for birds on combination of 1.5% CP + 1.5% CO leaf meals. The histopathology of the gut shows that only those fed 3% CP had eroded villi of the mucosa layer, while all other treatments show normal mucosa layer, moderate inflammatory infiltration of the gland and lamina propia except those fed combinations of 1.5% CP + 1.5% CO. Conclusively, the combination of the leaf meals at 1.5% inclusion in broiler diet had positive effect on beneficial gut microbial population.