ABSTRACT

Five experiments were conducted to determine the chemical and nutritional evaluation of Anthonotha macrophylla seed meal as an alternative protein source for broiler chickens. Experiment 1 investigated the proximate, gross energy, anti-nutritional factors, minerals and amino acid compositions of the raw, boiled, blanched and toasted Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal. In experiment 2, the metabolizable energy of raw and variously processed Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal were determined using 15 matured broiler chickens by force-feeding method. In experiment 3, the level of inclusion of raw Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal in broiler chickens’ ration was determined. Experiment 4 evaluated the performance of broiler chickens fed boiled, blanched and toasted Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal at 2.5% raw inclusion level. Experiment 5 determined the dietary inclusion level of blanched Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal in broiler chickens’ diet. The experiments were carried out in a completely randomized design consisting of three replicates with 10 birds per replicate. In experiment 1, the crude protein content of toasted Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal was higher (p<0.05) than others. Toasting resulted in the highest percentage reduction of anti-nutritional factors. Seeds toasted had the highest value for minerals (p<0.05). Blanched seeds meal gave the highest value (p<0.05) for most of the amino acids. In experiments 2, boiled seeds meal had the highest (p<0.05) true metabolizeable energy (2.60kcal/g) and true metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (1.64kcal/g). In experiment 3, the raw Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal significantly (p<0.05) depressed growth as the levels of inclusion increased from 0 to 7.5%. Diet 2(2.5%) showed significantly (p<0.05) higher values for carcass yield and similar (P>0.05) economics of diet with control diet. The blood constituents analyzed revealed normal range values except for MCV and MCH for all the diets and eosinophil’s for diet 4 (7.5%) only. In experiment 4, body weights showed no significant (p>0.05) difference. Diet containing blanched Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal (diet 3) performed better for carcass yield, FCR, had least cost/kg weight gain and highest gross margin. The blood constituents analyzed revealed normal range values except for neutrophils for all the diets, lymphophils of diet 3 and MCV for diet 1, 3 and 4 only. In experiment 5, birds fed 7.5%  blanched Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal (diet 3) performed better for body weight gains, cut-parts, FCR and economics of diets among others. Organ weights showed no significant differences (p>0.05).The blood constituents analyzed revealed normal range values except for neutrophils, lymphophils, MCV, MCH for all the diets and eosinophil’s for diets 4 only. It is therefore concluded that blanching emerged as the best processing technique among others. Quantitative replacement of soya bean meal with raw Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal at 2.5% dietary level of inclusion was not deleterious to broiler chickens. Broiler chickens fed blanched Anthonotha macrophylla seeds meal gave the best performance among the chickens fed differently processed seeds meal at 2.5% dietary level of inclusion. The dietary level of inclusion of quantitative replacement of the soya bean meal with the product of the best processing technique (blanched seeds meal) was 7.5%.