Performance enhancing, immunomodulatory, anti‑hyperlipidaemic, andantimicrobial properties ofbael (Aegle marmelos) leaf powder inbroiler chicken

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of bael leaf powder (BLP) on growth performance, immunity, serum biochemistry, and caecal microbiology of broiler chickens. Following completely randomised design, a total of 288-day-old CARIBRO-Vishal broiler chickens were randomly divided into six treatment groups consisting of experimental diets formulated as follows — T1 (basal diet), T2 (basal diet + 250mg bacitracin methylene disalicylate-BMD/kg diet), T3 (basal diet + 5g BLP/kg diet) T4 (basal diet + 10g BLP/kg diet), T5 (basal diet + 15g BLP/kg diet), and T6 (basal diet + 20g BLP/kg diet). Proximate analysis of green bael leaves revealed 65.6% moisture and on dry matter basis, BLP contained 14.31% protein, 1.89% fat, 16.30% crude fibre, 4.25% calcium, and 2.08% phosphorous. This study revealed no adverse effects of BLP supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicken. The BLP supplementation at 20g/kg diet resulted in higher rela-tive weights of bursa and thymus with better cell mediated (higher foot web index) and humoral immune (higher antibody titre against sheep RBCs) responses in broiler chicken. Lower abdominal fat deposition was observed in broiler chicken fed 20g BLP/kg diet. Significantly lower serum uric acid, creatinine, AST, and ALT were observed in BLP supplemented chicken which indicates nephro-protective and hepato-protective functions of BLP. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and tis-sue cholesterol content of broiler chicken decreased progressively with increasing dietary BLP levels. The supplementation of 20g BLP/kg diet resulted in lower E. coli and Coliform counts, whereas, increasing trend was observed in Lactobacillus count in caecum of broiler chicken. In conclusion, the BLP supplementation at 20g/kg diet exerted immunomodulatory, anti-hyperlipidaemic, and antibacterial effects in broiler chicken without any adverse effects on the growth performance