Evaluation of Water Plantain (Alisma Canaliculatum A. Br. Et Bouche) And
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Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 6(11), pp. 2160-2169, 23 March, 2012 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JMPR DOI: 10.5897/JMPR11.1538 ISSN 1996-0875 ©2012 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Evaluation of water plantain (Alisma canaliculatum A. Br. et Bouche) and mistletoe (Viscum album L.) effects on broiler growth performance, meat composition and serum biochemical parameters Md. Elias Hossain1, Gwi Man Kim1, Sang Soo Sun2, Jeffre D Firman3 and Chul Ju Yang1* 1Department of Animal Science and Technology, Sunchon National University, Suncheon 540-742, Korea. 2Department of Animal Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea. 3Department of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA. Accepted 1 March, 2012 The present study was conducted to examine the potential use of water plantain (Alisma canaliculatum A. Br. et Bouche) and mistletoe (Viscum album L.) as alternative feed additives for broiler chickens. A total of 140 Ross broiler chicks were assigned to four dietary treatments over a five-week period. The dietary groups included; control (basal diet), antibiotic (basal diet + 0.005% oxytetracycline), water plantain (basal diet + 0.5% water plantain powder), and mistletoe (basal diet + 0.5% mistletoe powder). Results indicated that body weight gain and feed intake were not affected by the addition of water plantain and mistletoe to the diet. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the water plantain and mistletoe groups did not differ from the control group, although a better FCR was observed in the antibiotic group compare to the water plantain group. Crude protein as well as crude fat content of both breast and thigh meat in the water plantain group decreased, whereas crude protein content in breast meat was increased by the addition of mistletoe to the diet. When fatty acid composition was evaluated, a low n6/n3 ratio was found in the breast meat of the water plantain group, and supplemented groups exhibited a high polyunsaturated fatty acid content in thigh meat. The average thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values did not significantly change; however, breast meat of the water plantain group showed susceptibility to oxidation at Day 7. Serum biochemical data revealed that mistletoe had a hepatotoxic effect compare to water plantain, although both plants effectively enhanced immune function. It is suggested from the study results that water plantain could be incorporated into the diet of broiler chickens as an alternative feed additive. Key words: Water plantain, mistletoe, feed additive, broiler. INTRODUCTION Plant extracts are ingredients of many commercial diet and reinforce immunity (Wenk, 2003). Since the ban on preparations currently used in animal production. They antibiotics in animal feed, producers often seek provide antioxidant (Cross et al., 2007), antimicrobial alternative natural feedstuffs to meet the demands of the (Manzanilla et al., 2004), immunity development (Ko et al., industry. 2008) and growth promoting effects (Lee et al., 2009). In Water plantain (Alisma canaliculatum A. Br. et Bouche) general, in the animal industry, herbs and other plant has many uses in traditional medicine; its roots are used extracts can help improve feed intake, digestive enzymes, to prevent diarrhea, hypertension, acute intestinal infection, mucous membrane dryness, dizziness, and jaundice in humans. It also reportedly suppresses DNA damage, has diuretic properties, and cholesterol lowering *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: 82-61-750- activities (Kim, 2003). Water plantain consists of 23% 3235. Fax: 82-61-750-3239. starch, 7% protein, and triterpene chemicals such as Hossain et al. 2161 alisol A, alisol B, alisol A monoacetate, alisol B replications with seven birds per replication over a period of five monoacetate, and epialisol A, which belong to the furfurol weeks, following a completely randomized design. The dietary and triterpenoid branches of refined oil. It also contains treatment groups included: Control (basal diet), antibiotic (basal diet + 0.005% oxytetracycline), water plantain (basal diet + 0.5% water D-glucose, D-fructose, sucrose, β-sitosterol and choline, plantain powder), and mistletoe (basal diet + 0.5% mistletoe with small amounts of alkaloids, aspartic acid, powder). All birds received a starter diet from 0 to 3 weeks and a phytosterols and their derivatives, palmitic acid, stearic finisher diet from 4 to 5 weeks. All diets were formulated to meet or acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid (Jung, 1994; Science exceed the nutrient requirements of broiler chickens (NRC, 1994). Encyclopedia, 1991). The butanol fraction of Alisma has The ingredient composition and estimated nutrient content of the diets are shown in Table 1. been shown to reduce blood glucose levels, plasma triglycerides, free fatty acids, and cholesterol in rats (Kim, 2003). In addition, butanol with selenium supplementation Measurements and analysis increased liver glycogen and triglyceride levels, and reduced peroxidative liver damage in streptozotocin- Growth performance and meat composition induced diabetic rats (Choi, 2004). Antioxidant and Body weights were measured on a weekly basis from beginning to antidiabetic activities were also reported in rats (Choe et end of the experiment. Feed intake was determined by measuring al., 2008). feed residue on a weekly basis from the start of the experiment. Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) is abundant in forest Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was obtained by dividing the feed regions and orchards as a hemiparasite and has long intake by body weight gain. At the end of the experiment, broilers been used in animal diets especially during droughts and were slaughtered and samples were collected from breast and thigh winters. In comparison to commonly used conventional muscles. Moisture, crude protein, crude fat, and ash percentage of meat samples were analyzed according to Association of Analytical forages, mistletoe contains low protein, moderate fiber, Communities (AOAC, 2000) methods. and is high in minerals; therefore it can provide alternative mineral and forage sources for ruminant feeding (Madibela et al., 2000). The main constituents of Fatty acid composition and oxidative stability of meat mistletoe are lectins (mistletoe Lectins I, II, III), Fatty acid composition of breast and thigh meat was determined by viscotoxins, polysaccharides, cyclitols, flavonoids, phenyl the methyl ester extraction methods according to Yang et al. (2003). propane derivatives, triterpenoids like amyrin, betulinic Fatty acids were identified by matching their retention times with acid, oleanolic acid, phytosterols, amino acids, alkaloids, those of their relative standards (PUFA-2, Animal Source, Supelco, cyclic peptides, histamine, acetylcholine, and 9.3% Bellefonte, PA, USA) as well as by following the Food Composition protein (EMEA, 2000). Previous studies have Table (NRLSI, 2002). To determine the oxidative stability of broiler demonstrated that extracts from this plant possess breast and thigh meat, meat samples were preserved in the refrigerator at 4.5°C and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances pharmacological properties having immunomodulatory, (TBARS) values were assayed at Days 1, 3, 5 and 7 according to anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, and antimicrobial Sarker et al. (2010b). TBARS values were expressed as micromole effects (Kienle and Kiene, 2003; Alison et al., 2000). of malondialdehyde (MDA) per hundred gram of meat. Nwaegerue et al. (2007) observed a glucose lowering effect in normal and diabetic rats using leaf extracts of V. album. It has also been shown to restore the suppressed Serum biochemical parameters immune response of fibrosarcoma-bearing mice, Blood samples were obtained at the end of the experiment by wing although cardiovascular effects in animal experiments are puncture and centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 20 min. Serum samples contradictory (Bissett, 1994; Jurin et al., 1997). Previous were analyzed for albumin, glutamyl oxaloacetic transaminase studies clearly concentrated mainly on cytotoxic, (GOT), glutamyl pyruvic transaminase (GPT), creatinine, blood urea cardiotoxic, immunostimulating, and antidiabetic nitrogen (BUN), total bilirubin, and total cholesterol with an automated clinical chemistry analyzer (FUJI DRI-CHEM 4000i, properties of water plantain and mistletoe in laboratory Japan) using commercially available kits. Serum IgG and IL-2 animals. Few attempts have been made to evaluate the concentration were determined in appropriately diluted samples by effect of these plants on broiler chickens (Sarker et al., a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using 2011; Kim et al., 2011; Kim et al., 2007) and pigs (Kim et microtiter plates and chicken specific ELISA quantitation kits for IgG al., 2010). Therefore, this experiment was designed to (Bethyl Laboratories Inc., USA) and interleukin 2 (Uscn Life Science evaluate the effect of water plantain and mistletoe on Inc. China). The ELISA procedure was carried out according to the protocol of the manufacturer and absorbance was measured with a growth performance, carcass composition, fatty acid Multiskan GO spectrophotometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific, composition, and oxidative stability of meat, as well as Finland). serum biochemical parameters and immunity in broilers. Statistical analysis MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were analyzed using the general linear models of SAS Birds, feed, and experimental design Institute (2003) to estimate