Abstract

The use of antibiotics as growth promoters in food animals has been banned due to the residual effects on final consumers which could lead to human health issues. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of two herbal feed additives with or without grits on hematological and serum biochemical parameters of broiler chickens. One hundred and forty-four, one-day-old, Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly assigned into six treatments (24 birds per treatment) with three replicates (eight bird per replicate). Six dietary treatments were formulated with the inclusion of Moringa oleifera Leaf Meal (MOLM), Garcinia kola Seed Meal (GKSM) and grits. The experimental rations contained diet without MOLM, GKSM and grits which served as treatment 1 (control), diet with MOLM at 1000ppm (treatment 2), diet with GKSM at 1000ppm (treatment 3), diet with grits at 1000ppm (treatment 4), diet with MOLM at 1000ppm + grits at 1000ppm (treatment 5) and diet with GKSM at 1000ppm + grits at 1000ppm (treatment 6). Blood samples were collected on 28 and 56 days of age for hematological and biochemical analysis. Data were subjected to analysis of variance in a completely randomized design. At the starter phase, red blood cells (1.15 ×1012 L) and white blood cells were significantly lowest in birds of first treatment. The birds that received treatment 6, had the highest glucose (131.50 g/dl) and high-density lipoprotein level (58.50 mg/dl). At the finisher phase, the lowest white blood cell count (10.95 ×109/L) and lymphocytes (60%) were recorded in treatment 6. Birds in treatment 3 indicated the lowest urea (2.05 mg/dl) and triglyceride (94.50 mg/dl). It can be concluded that diet supplemented with GKSM at 1000 ppm, increased high-density lipoprotein, and reduced triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein levels in serum of broiler chickens.