Phytobiotic/antimicrobial efficacy of spotted pumpkin (lagenaria breviflora) pulp extracts on intestinal microbial, feacal oocyst, haematology and serum biochemistry indices of broiler chickens

Abstract

Antibiotics have been used in the poultry industry for years either as prophylactic or therapeutic measures against different micro-organism that affect the livestock. However, misuse or continuous use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of the antibiotics residue and resistivity in livestock. Thus this study evaluates the effect of spotted pumpkin pulp extract on gut microbiota, feacal and Antimicrobial efficacy on the health of broiler chickens. A total of 240 day old broiler chicks were used for the experiment and were allotted into four (4) treatments of (4) replicates each. Aqueous extract of Lagenaria breviflora pulp was administered to the birds at a dosage of 0g/l (Control), 250g/l, 500g/l and 750g/l respectively for 5 days. All data obtained on gut microbial, feacal oocyst, haematological and serum biochemical parameters were subjected to one-way analysis of variance in a completely randomized design. Result obtained revealed that Lagenaria breviflora pulp extract had significant (P<0.05) effect on Heterophils, basophils, monocyctes, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, total protein, Albumin, Aspartate amino transaminase and Alanine amino transferase at the starter phase. Results on intestinal microbial shows that there were no (p>0.05) significant effect obtained on all the parameters measured but there was positive effect of Lagenaria breviflora pulp extract on birds administered 250g/l and 500g/l for the faecal oocyst. The levels of Lagenaria breviflora pulp extract had significant (P<0.05) effect on Packed cell volume, haemoglobin, Red blood cell, White Blood Cell, Lymphocytes and Mean Corpuscular Volume. All serum parameters measured were significantly (P˂0.05) influenced at finisher phase except Total cholesterol. It can be concluded that administering Lageneria breviflora pulp extract at 250g/l or 500g/l eradicate/ reduced the presence of oocyst in the gut of broiler chicken. Lageneria breviflora pulp extract could be administered up to 750g/l of water as an antimicrobial without causing any deleterious effect on the health status of poultry birds.