Effect of pawpaw (<em>Carica papaya</em>) leaf meal and dietary enzymes on broiler performance, digestibility, carcass and blood composition

Abstract

Exogenous enzymes and phytogenic feed additives are proposed as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. This study assessed the effect of pawpaw leaf meal (PLM) inclusion and enzyme (E) supplementation in the diet of broiler chickens. In total 288 Arbor-Acre day-old broiler chickens were used. Four diets were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous: diet 1, control (0% PLM, 0% E), diet 2 (0% PLM, 0.05% E), diet 3 (5% PLM, 0% E), and diet 4 (5% PLM, 0.05% E). Each diet was replicated six times with 12 chickens in each batch. E improved (p < 0.05) the body weight gain at three weeks. The dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract and ash digestibility were improved (p < 0.05) with E, whereas PLM inclusion produced (p < 0.05) an increase in DM and CP digestibility. The E x PLM effect was significant (p < 0.05) for DM and CP digestibility. E improved (p < 0.05) the slaughter weight and reduced the liver weight. Platelets varied across diets and increased (p < 0.05) with enzyme supplementation. E reduced (p < 0.05) low-density lipoproteins (LDL), whereas PLM reduced (p < 0.05) cholesterol and LDL. In conclusion, the association of E and PLM improved chicken growth, and E or PLM inclusion should benefit chicken health.

Keywords

• broiler chickens
• animal feeding
• papayas
• enzymes
• animal performance
• Nigeria