HAEMATOLOGY AND SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY OF COCKERELS GIVEN Vernonia amygdalina LEAF EXTRACT IN A SUB-TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT
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Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wayamba University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Poultry is particularly sensitive to
environmental challenges, especially heat
stress. Climatic condition such as heat stress
has a negative effect on poultry production
thereby altering their behaviour and
physiological homeostasis. The means of
acquiring synthetic pharmaceuticals are not
easily obtainable to small scale farmers,
therefore there is an urgent need for cheap,
unconventional source of antioxidant such as
Vernonia amygdalina (VALE) to alleviate
the adverse effect of heat stress. A total of
45 cockerels were randomly distributed into
5 treatment groups, replicated 3 times with 3
birds per replicate under elevated summer
temperature to investigate the effect of
Vernonia amygdalina leaves extract
supplementation via drinking water on their
haematology and serum characteristics
which lasted for 8 weeks. Parameters
evaluated under haematological profile
were: Packed cell volume, white blood cell,
haemoglobin concentration, red blood cell,
platelet, mean corpuscular haemoglobin,
mean cell volume, mean corpuscular
haemoglobin concentration while under
serum biochemistry; Triglceride, total
cholesterol, HDL, LDL, sodium, calcium,
alkaline amino phosphase, alkaline amino
transferase, aspartate amino transferase, total
antioxidant potential were evaluated. The
results of proximate analysis shows a
chemical composition of 1295.19KJ/mole
Calorific value, 53.03% CHO, 23.68% CP,
7.32% CF, Crude lipids 0.3%, 8.90% ash.
The result of phytochemical screening
revealed saponin (+++), tannin (+++),
phenol (+++), flavonoid (++), steroid (++),
glycosides (++) and anthraquinone (++). The
presence of these essentials nutrients and
minerals implies Vernonia amygdalina could
be utilized as a source of feed supplement toimprove blood profile and serum
biochemistry of heat-stressed poultry.
Results obtained for serum biochemistry
shows a significant different in triglyceride
for birds in Treatment 2 in which the value
recorded was lower. Aspartate amino
transferase also shows a significant
difference in Treatment 4 which is the
highest value that receives 60mls of the
extract although not significantly different
across the treatment group. Result obtained
for Haematological profile shows that there
is no significant different in all treatment
groups but a higher concentration was
observed in treatment 5 which received
90mls of the extract compared with the
control group.
In conclusion, VALE at 90mls can be used
as a natural source of antioxidant. Further
studies can be conducted using higher
concentration of VALE