Histological Changes and Internal Organs Dynamics of Broiler Chickens Administered Jatropha tanjorensis Leaf Meal

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the effect of Jatropha tanjorensis leaf meal as a natural feed supplement on the internal organs and histology of the kidney and liver of broiler chickens. One hundred and thirty-two (132) unsexed broiler chicks were randomly divided into 4 different groups (T1, T2, T3 and T4) of 33 birds, with 3 replicates of 11 birds per replicate. The experimental diets were formulated to contain 0%, 1.5%, 3.0% and 3.5% dietary supplementation of Jatropha tanjorensis leaf meal, respectively. The internal organs dynamics were determined. The kidney and liver were processed for histopathological examination. Results showed that Jatropha tanjorensis leaf meal at 1.5%, 3.0% and 3.50% in broiler diets significantly (p<0.05) increased the weights of the large intestine (T₁ 0.49 – T₃ 0.67), small intestine (T₁ 1.43 – T₃ 2.93), kidney (T₁ 0.42 – T₄ 0.61) and reduced the crop (T₁ 0.61 – T₂ 0.51). The supplementation of Jatropha tanjorensis leaf meal at 1.5%, 3.0% and 3.5% had multifocal hepatocellular necrosis with marked infiltration of the phagocytes of the histo-architecture of the liver; while the supplementation up to 3.0% and 3.5% on the broiler diets showed a mild multifocal tubular necrosis with marked aggregation of phagocytes on the histo-architecture of the kidney. These deleterious effects on the liver and kidney increased as the level of supplementation increased. Therefore, care should be taken when increasing Jatropha tanjorensis leaf meal in broiler chicken diets above 1.5%, and when consuming Jatropha tanjorensis leaf at higher doses because of its deleterious consequences on the histo-architecture of the kidney and liver.