Moringa (M. oleifera) Leaf Meal in Diets for Broilers and Laying Hens: A Review

Abstract

The cost of feed ingredients in poultry production is constantly increasing and it is one of the main constraints globally and especially in low income countries. As a consequence, scientists search for cheap and available sources of feed protein. The M. oleifera leaves have not only high protein but also excellent nutritive and biological properties. This review summarises results and findings of research related to the application of M. oleifera leaf as source of feed protein in broiler and egg production. Studies showed that leaf meals used as protein source led to improvement in growth and egg production parameters with up to 10% M. oleifera leaves in chicken diets. On the other side, there are restrictions on utilization of leaf meal in chicken diets by its high dietary fibre content and the presence of anti-nutritive compounds. This review also highlights previous results indicating a positive effect of M. oleifera leaves on carcass traits and egg quality, specially pigmentation of broiler meat and egg yolk and a tendency in cholesterol reduction in blood and eggs. A couple of studies have shown a beneficial influence on the antioxidant status and intestinal microbiota which were considered as health promoting in birds. In conclusion the use of M. oleifera leaves meal can improve growth performance and egg production. Of high interest is its potential to promote animal health. However, more research is needed to find out effects of M. oleifera leaves meal on functional traits, including ileal nutrient digestibility, especially considering amino acids, and on the gut microbiota for a better understanding of the mode of action of this plant.

Roles of tree and shrub legume leaves as protein sources for cattle raised by small farmers in Bangkalan Regency

“…ESPM values also went on the same trend as NH3 concentration value in which by supplementing moringa leaves (treatment C) on field grass produced the highest ESPM value (32.4 g N/kg DOMR) followed by treatments E, D, B and A (30.2, 28.5, 24.6 and 19.4 mg N/kg DOMR respectively). [13] stated that the protein in Moringa has good rumen bypass properties and in the study of [14] showed that by feeding dairy cows 2 kg or 3 kg DM of Moringa leaves increased milk yield (4.9 and 5.1 kg/day) compared to cows fed only Brachiaria brizantha hay; this improvement was related to an increase in feed intake and in the digestibility of nutrients (dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and dietary fibre) in Moringa leaves.…”

The use of Moringa oleifera in ruminant feeding and its contribution to climate change mitigation

“…Its immature fruit (pods) are green in color, 10-60 cm in length, contain 15-20 seeds, and at maturity change color to brown. The shape of a dry seed is round or triangular and it is covered by a light woody shell with papery wings; each tree can produce between 15,000 and 25,000 seeds annually (Paliwal et al, 2011;Su and Chen, 2020;Amad and Zentek, 2022) depending on the variety. Moringa oleifera can be propagated by direct seedlings, cuttings, or by seeds under minimal care and with a wide range of management practices (Paliwal et al, 2011).…”

“…It must be emphasized that stems and immature pods of M. oleifera have lower nutrient levels compared to leaves. The leaves of Moringa contain approximately 27-30% or slightly more protein on a dry matter (DM) basis, with significant quantities of all the essential amino acids (Amad and Zentek, 2022). The protein content of Moringa leaf meal is higher than that of other forage plants such as Medicago sativa (Alfalfa) and many commonly consumed green leafy vegetables (spinach and mint).…”

“…Saponins and tannins also exist in Moringa leaves at high concentrations of approximately 4.7-5 g/kg and 12-20.6 g/kg DM, respectively (Moyo et al, 2011;Teixeira et al, 2014;Su and Chen, 2020). An increase in tannins and phytates can negatively affect digestibility and metabolism by reducing the rate of utilization of dietary nutrients, and this could lead to a negative growth rate in animals (Amad and Zentek, 2022). The seeds of Moringa contain 479 mg/kg DM tannins and 2.5 g/kg DM saponins (Fayis, 2017).…”

The Application of Moringa oleifera Leaf Meal and Its Fermentation Products in the Diet of Megalobrama amblycephala Juveniles

“…M. oleifera leaf products effectively prevented hypercholesterolemia and lipid deposition in mice by down-regulating plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) levels [29,30]. The active phenolic and flavonoid substances in MO exhibit anti-lipid peroxidation effects and act as oxygen radical scavengers to protect the meat from oxidation [31]. The antioxidant properties of M. oleifera leaf were also reported to improve goat meat quality (chemical composition, color, and lipid stability) [32].…”