Acute toxicity of aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera leaf in growing poultry

Joseph O. Ashong, Cornell University
Dan L. Brown, Cornell University

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the safety of an aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera and its impact on feed intake in growing poultry. At 21 d of age, 75 White-leghorn type chicks were weighed and randomly divided into 5 groups, G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5. Chicks in G1, G2, G3, and G4 were gavage (orally) with aqueous moringa extract: 200, 400, 800, 2000 mg/kg BW, respectively, while chicks in G5 were gavage with distilled water (control group). Each group was made up of triplicates with 5 chicks per replicate. All chicks were fed basal chick feed. All the chicks were observed at the first 6 h and once daily thereafter over 14 d for signs of abnormal behavior and/or toxicity and mortality. Daily feed intake and weekly BW were recorded for the duration of the study. Post-trial postmortem examination conducted included weighing of kidney, liver and heart and biochemical analyses such as uric acid, thyroxine (T4), creatinine, aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), cholesterol and total protein. Liver and kidney tissues were harvested for histopathological examination. There were no observed signs of abnormal behavior and/or toxicity and mortality in the course of the study. Macroscopic and microscopic observations showed no alterations and differences in the liver and kidneys of G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5 even though the liver weight was heaviest in G4 and lightest in G2. Similarly, there were no differences in feed intake and weight gain among the treatment groups. In the biochemical study, no changes and differences were observed among circulating biochemical indicators (P > 0.05); however, ALP decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing moringa leaf extract concentration, while total protein and albumin also decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing moringa leaf extract from 400 to 2000 mg/kg BW. In conclusion, oral administration of an aqueous extract of moringa at doses of 200, 400, 800 and 2000 mg/kg BW for 14 d to growing poultry did not induce any short-term toxicity and had no impact on feed intake