Potentials of Tropical Plant Leaves and Seeds in Chicken Nutrition and their Effects on Spermatozoa Quality and Egg Production. A review
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Date
2026-07-09
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Nigerian Journal of Animal Science and Technology (NJAST), Dept of Animal Science, U niversity of Maiduguri
Abstract
The projected increase in the global human population to about 9 billion by 2050 has intensified
concerns over food security and the need for a corresponding rise in food production. In
particular, greater availability of foods of animal origin is required to avert future food shortages.
Poultry production, which has the potential to meet much of this growing demand, is increasingly
constrained by the high and rising cost of conventional feed ingredients, thereby underscoring the
need to develop and utilize locally available feed resources. Consequently, there is growing
interest, especially among livestock farmers in developing countries, in exploiting the nutritional
potential of the leaves and seeds of tropical browse plants. Numerous studies have shown that leaf
and seed meals from tropical plants are rich sources of essential nutrients and beneficial
phytochemicals. Evidence from previous research indicates that their inclusion in poultry diets
can enhance chicken performance. However, their wider application in animal feeding has been
limited by the presence of antinutritional factors (ANFs), which negatively affect nutrient
utilization and animal health. This review therefore examines the biochemical composition of leaf
and seed meals of tropical browse plants, their mechanisms of action, available methods for
detoxifying their ANFs and their effects on chicken reproduction.
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https://njast.com.ng/index.php/index