article · Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition
Researchers evaluated the effects of incorporating Moringa oleifera leaves into broiler chicken feed at concentrations of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 5.0% across a 42-day trial involving 320 chicks. Diets containing 0.5% and 1.0% moringa significantly improved body weight gain, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratios, whilst reducing abdominal fat. High inclusion levels of 5% lowered overall feed intake. Birds fed moringa showed enhanced protein efficiency, reduced serum glucose, cholesterol, and liver enzymes, alongside elevated calcium, phosphorus, and total protein. The supplement also reinforced antioxidant defences by raising enzyme activities, including catalase and superoxide dismutase, while reducing lipid peroxidation markers. Furthermore, moringa lowered ileal pH, increased beneficial Lactobacillus populations, and reduced pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli, demonstrating clear physiological and protective benefits without adverse effects.
Enhancing poultry diets with natural plant additives provides a way to improve growth efficiency and bird welfare. This research shows that moringa leaf supplements can improve feed efficiency, lean meat yield, and antioxidant defences while suppressing harmful gut pathogens. These outcomes offer practical nutritional strategies to support flock health, reduce disease risks, and improve production efficiency in poultry farming.
This work demonstrates an applied, tested concept for feed manufacturers and poultry producers seeking natural dietary additives. The findings indicate that moringa leaf meal could serve as a functional supplement to enhance feed conversion and gut health. Because results are based on a 42-day controlled flock trial, the approach appears moderately close to real-world use, though commercial adoption would require supply-chain sourcing and scaled farm validation.
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In this study, we investigated the effect of Moringa oleifera leaves (MOL) supplements on the performance, ileal microbiota carcass traits and biochemical and antioxidant parameters of broiler chickens. MOL was added to starter, grower and finisher diets at four levels (0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 5.0%). A total of 320 one-day-old mixed-sex Cobb-500 broiler chicks were divided equally into four treatment groups, with 5 replicates of 16 chicks each until 42 days of age. Compared to the control group, chicks fed 0.5% and 1% MOL exhibited a higher final body weight (FBW), greater weight gain (BWG), and better average daily gain (ADG). Feed intake (FI) gradually decreased as the inclusion rate of MOL in the broilers' diet increased to 5%. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and performance index (PI) were observed in broilers that were fed the MOL diet. The percentage of abdominal fat in broilers decreased significantly in response to dietary supplementation with MOL. The haematological profile in the MOL group revealed a lower WBC count and lymphocyte percentage but higher heterophil and H/L ratio without affecting haemoglobin and RBC count. The inclusion of MOL increased total serum protein, Ca and P levels but decreased glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, AST and ALT concentrations. Moreover, dietary MOL increased the activities of GSH, CAT and SOD, GPx and GST while decreasing the TBARS level. The pH value decreased in the ileum of broilers fed the 1% and 5% MOL diet compared to the other treatments. Decreased ileal counts of E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus spp. were observed whereas the total ileal Lactobacillus spp. count increased in broilers fed the MOL diet. In conclusion, the MOL supplement can enhance growth performance and antioxidant status, alter ileal microbiota and protect against enteropathogens with no deleterious effects on the broiler chickens.
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DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13281
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