Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI · 5 authors, 2 centres
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This study investigated the effects of substituting Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) for rapeseed cake in broiler chicken diets at levels from 1% to 9%. The results showed that 5% MOLP improved growth performance and carcass characteristics in both early (day 28) and late (day 56) stages, and enhanced cecal microbial richness and diversity. The findings suggest that MOLP can serve as a viable protein-based feedstuff for broilers, with 5% being the optimal inclusion rate.
**Background:** The lack of protein source feed is a pressing issue in livestock production. Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) has good potential as a protein-derived feed due to its high protein content (up to 30.3% crude protein) and quality, but its effects on broiler growth performance and cecal microbiota were not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different MOLP substitution levels for rapeseed cake on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and cecal microbiota of broiler chickens at two growth stages (day 28 and day 56).
**Methods:** A total of 216 male broiler chickens (2 weeks old) were randomly divided into 6 groups with 3 replicates per group and 12 birds per replicate. The control group (A1/A2) received a basic diet, while experimental groups received diets with 1% (B1/B2), 3% (C1/C2), 5% (D1/D2), 7% (E1/E2), and 9% (F1/F2) MOLP substituted for an equal ratio of rapeseed cake. Growth performance metrics (ADG, ADFI, TBG, F/G) were measured on day 28 and day 56. Carcass characteristics including slaughter rate, half-clean bore rate, and full net bore rate were assessed. Cecal microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V4-V5 regions) on an Illumina Hiseq PE250 platform. Alpha diversity indices (Chao, Ace, Shannon, Simpson) and taxonomic composition at phylum and genus levels were determined. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 18.0 with t-tests, and p < 0.05 was considered significant.
**Key Results:** On day 28, the 3% MOLP group (C1) showed the highest ADG (23.2 ± 2.20 g/d) and ADFI (69.0 ± 4.80 g/d), while the 1% (B1) and 3% (C1) groups had the lowest F/G ratios (5.4 ± 0.5 and 5.8 ± 0.5, respectively), indicating better feed efficiency. On day 56, there were no significant differences in growth performance between groups (p > 0.05). For carcass characteristics on day 28, the 5% MOLP group (D1) had the highest pre-slaughter weight (826 ± 93.6 g) and slaughter weight (755 ± 80.2 g). On day 56, the 5% MOLP group (D2) had the highest pre-slaughter weight (1249 ± 113 g), slaughter weight (1152 ± 76.0 g), half chamber weight (1037 ± 77.5 g), and full bore weight (829 ± 52.1 g), with significant differences compared to the control (A2) and 1% MOLP (B2) groups (p < 0.05). Sequencing yielded 292,319 and 276,672 total qualified sequences for day 28 and day 56 samples, corresponding to 6,554 and 6,576 OTUs, respectively. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the 5% MOLP group (D1) had higher mean Chao (2,099), Ace (2,016), and Shannon (7.49) indices than the control (A1) on day 28. At the phylum level, on day 28, the 5% MOLP group (D1) had Firmicutes relative abundance (0.579 ± 0.034) closest to the control (0.603 ± 0.024). On day 56, the 5% MOLP group (D2) had significantly higher Firmicutes (0.525 ± 0.049) than the control (0.476 ± 0.036) (p < 0.05), and significantly lower Bacteroidetes (0.397 ± 0.049) compared to the control (0.435 ± 0.036) (p < 0.05). At the genus level, MOLP addition consistently and significantly increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides (p < 0.05), except for 3% on day 28 and 1% on day 56. Increasing MOLP levels significantly decreased the relative abundance of Oscillospira (p < 0.05) in both stages.
**Clinical Implications:** This study demonstrates that MOLP can effectively substitute for rapeseed cake as a protein source in broiler diets, with 5% being the optimal inclusion rate for improving growth performance and carcass characteristics. The beneficial effects appear to be mediated through modulation of cecal microbiota, including increased Bacteroides abundance and decreased Oscillospira abundance. These findings provide practical guidance for using MOLP in poultry feed formulations, particularly in regions where Moringa is readily available. The study also highlights that late-stage chickens have greater adaptive capacity to MOLP than early-stage chickens, suggesting that dietary transition periods should be considered when implementing MOLP-based feeds.