| Livestock Research for Rural Development 32 (1) 2020 | LRRD Search | LRRD Misssion | Guide for preparation of papers | LRRD Newsletter | Citation of this paper |
The effects of Phyllanthus amarus leaf meal on growth performance and haematology of rabbits were evaluated in an 8-week growth study. Forty mixed-breed rabbits 8 weeks old, weighing 860 ± 46g, were allotted to pelleted diets containing 0, 2, 4 or 6% of sun-dried leaves of Phyllanthus amarus. leaf meal leaf meal of in a completely randomized design for an 8 week feeding trial.
There was a curvilinear trend in live weight gain with the optimum response at the 4% inclusion level of PLM. Feed intake, feed conversion and haematological indices were not affected by the level of PLM in the diet. It is concluded that Phyllanthus amarus leaf meal at the 4 % level in rabbit diets appears to act as a growth promoter with no negative effect on health status.
Keywords: Phyllanthus amarus, the rabbit, blood cells, performance, phytomedicine
The use of medicinal plants in animal production has increased research interests as a potential substitute for antibiotics (Lillehoj et al 2018). Their potential to enhance animal welfare and food safety concerns have led to multiple approaches to develop alternatives to synthetic drugs and additives. Phyllanthus amarus is a broad spectrum medicinal plant that has received worldwide recognition. It is generally employed to stimulate and promote digestion, as an anti-helminth to expel intestinal worms and act as a mild laxative. Phyllanthus amarus also has antiseptic, diuretic and antiviral properties according to Eweka and Enogieru (2011) and has long been used in traditional medicine. It is a potential anti -microbial candidate in animal production and as a feed additive to scavenge auto-oxidants. However, some studies have shown the possibility of Phyllanthus amarus to induce organ toxicity and adversely affect animal welfare (Eweka and Adaze 2011). Ogbomade et al (2014) revealed contradictory ethnomedical/trade medical claims on Phyllanthus amarus. Like any therapeutic agent, when overdosed or incorrectly used, they have the potential to induce adverse effects. There is paucity of information on the dietary effect of Phyllanthus amarus on growth and health of rabbits as most reports evaluate its curative and/or ameliorative effect on diseased animals. This study aimed to evaluate the potential use of Phyllanthus amarus as feed additive on performance and health of rabbits.
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| Photo 1. Phyllanthus amarus |
The study was conducted at the Rabbit Unit of Teaching and Research Farm, Department of Agricultural Technology, Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Forty mixed breed (New Zealand White x California x Chinchilla) rabbits, 8 weeks of age, with an average body weight of 860 ± 46g were used for an 8-week feeding trial. The animals were allotted in a completely randomized design into four treatments, with each treatment having ten rabbits, housed individually in a wire gauze hutch (55cm x 40cm x 40 cm) suspended from the ground. Fresh leaves of Phyllanthus amarus (Photo 1) were harvested from plants growing in the Teaching and Research Farm, and were dried under shade.
The PLM were mixed with other ingredients and ncorporated into the respective diets as: PLM0 (control), PLM2, PLM4 and PLM6 with 2, 4 and 6% of pf PLM in the diet (Table 1). The diets were mixed and pelleted and fed ad libitum.
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Table 1. Gross composition of the experimental diet (g/100g) |
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PLM, % indiet |
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0 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
|
|
Maize |
25.0 |
25.0 |
25.0 |
25.0 |
|
Wheat offal |
4.80 |
4.80 |
4.80 |
4.80 |
|
Rice bran |
6.00 |
4.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
|
Brewers dried grain |
5.00 |
5.00 |
5.00 |
5.00 |
|
Soybean meal |
17.0 |
17.0 |
17.0 |
17.0 |
|
Groundnut haulms |
40.0 |
40.0 |
40.0 |
40.0 |
|
Methionine |
0.40 |
0.40 |
0.40 |
0.40 |
|
Lysine |
0.10 |
0.10 |
0.10 |
0.10 |
|
Bone meal |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
|
Premix |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
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Salt |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
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Vegetable oil |
0.20 |
0.20 |
0.20 |
0.20 |
|
P. amarus leaf meal |
0.00 |
2.00 |
4.00 |
6.00 |
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Calculated analysis (%) |
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Dry matter |
87.9 |
86.1 |
84.3 |
82.5 |
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Crude protein |
16.4 |
16.2 |
15.9 |
15.7 |
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Ether extract |
3.34 |
3.09 |
2.84 |
2.59 |
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Crude fibre |
16.5 |
16.2 |
16.0 |
16.0 |
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Calcium |
1.60 |
1.60 |
1.60 |
1.60 |
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Phosphorus |
0.45 |
0.44 |
0.43 |
0.42 |
Feed intake was recorded and the rabbits weighed weekly over the 8 weeks of trial. At the end of the feeding trial, blood was drawn from the ugular vein into heparinized bottles for haematological analysis, following standard laboratory procedures.
Analysis of variance using SAS (Statistical Analysis System) Software, was used to detect significant treatment effects. Duncan’s Multiple Range Test was used to separate treatment means.
There was a curvilinear trend in live weight gain with the optimum at the 4% inclusion level of PLM (Table 2; Figure 1) . Feed intake, feed conversion and haematological indices (Table 3) were not affected by the level of PLM in the diet.Figure 1. Effect of PLM on live weight gain
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Table 2. Performance characteristics of rabbit fed Phyllanthus amarus supplemented diets |
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Level of PLM, % |
SEM |
p |
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0 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
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Initial weight, g |
863 |
863 |
850 |
863 |
53.5 |
|
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Weight gain, g/d |
16.5 b |
17.2 b |
19.0a |
17.2 b |
0.76 |
0.05 |
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Feed intake, g/d |
94.8 |
95.9 |
95.9 |
95.6 |
0.19 |
0.08 |
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Feed conversion ratio |
5.74 |
5.58 |
5.25 |
5.50 |
0.28 |
0.09 |
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a b Mean within rows having same superscripts do not differ at p<0.05 |
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| Figure 1. Effect of PLM on live weight gain |
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Table 3. Haematological indices of rabbitss fed diets supplemented with Phyllanthus amarus leaf meal |
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Level of PLM, % |
SEM |
p |
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0 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
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Packed cell volume (%) |
30.8 |
29.5 |
31.8 |
37.3 |
1.57 |
0.34 |
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Red blood cells (x10 6/L) |
4.75 |
4.50 |
5.00 |
6.25 |
0.36 |
0.17 |
|
MCHC (g/dl) |
33.3 |
33.3 |
33.3 |
33.3 |
0.00 |
0.34 |
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Mean cell volume (fL) |
65.9 |
70.5 |
74.1 |
59.2 |
5.01 |
0.92 |
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Mean cell haemoglobin (pg/cell) |
22.0 |
23.5 |
24.7 |
19.7 |
1.67 |
0.60 |
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Haemoglobin (g/dl) |
10.3 |
9.83 |
10.6 |
12.4 |
0.52 |
0.37 |
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White blood cell (x 109/L) |
5.00 |
5.00 |
5.75 |
5.75 |
0.48 |
0.97 |
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Neutrophils (x109/L) |
1.13 |
0.87 |
1.51 |
1.33 |
0.17 |
0.32 |
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Lymphocytes (x109/L) |
3.80 |
4.13 |
4.18 |
4.32 |
0.36 |
0.55 |
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Monocytes (x109/L) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.02 |
0.04 |
0.01 |
0.58 |
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MCHC: Mean Cell Haemoglobin Concentration |
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The reasons for the decline in live weight gain with more than 4% PLM in the diet are not apparent as neither feed intake nor haematological indices were affected by the level of PLM. Okore and Alagbe (2019) reported similar findings that PLM did not influence feed intake and feed conversion of rabbits. According to James et al (2009) an aqueous extract of PLM had no effect on haematological parameters of albino rats. The findings of this study corroborate the claims of Omokore and Alagbe (2019) that Phyllanthus amarus does not influence the haematology of rabbits nor the general performance and health status of animals.
Adeyemi A A and Ewuola E O 2017 Growth performance and organ indices of rabbit bucks fedMoringa oleifera leaf meal. World Applied Sciences Journal, 35 (8): 1229-1234.
Eweka A O and Adaze E 2011 Effects of oral administration of Phyllanthus amarus leaf extract on the kidneys of adult Wistar rats- a histological study. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 8(3): 307‐311.
James D B, Owolabi O A, Elebo N, Hassan S and Odemene L 2009 Glucose tolerance test and some biochemical effect of Phyllanthus amarus aqueous extracts on normaglycemic albino rats. African Journal of Biotechnology, 8(8): 1637-1642.
Lillehoj H, Liu Y, Calsamiglia S, Fernandez-Miyakawa M E, Chi F, Cravens R L, Oh S and Gay C G 2018 Phytochemicals as antibiotic alternatives to promote growth and enhance host health. Veterinary Research, 49(76): 1-18.
Ogbomade, R S, Chike C P R and Adienbo O M 2014 Evaluation of antifertility effects of aqueous extract of Phyllanthus amarus in male Wistar rats. The Experiment, 27(3): 1874-1879.
Omokore E O and Alagbe J O 2019 Efficacy of dried Phyllanthus amarus leaf meal as an herbal feed additive on the growth performance, haematology and serum biochemistry of growing rabbits. International Journal of Academic Research and Development, 4(3): 97-104.
Received 30 October 2019; Accepted 22 December 2019; Published 2 January 2020