Hepatotoxic Restorative Potential of Whitfieldia Lateritia Leaf Decoction and Vitali Supplement on Phenylhydrazine-Induced Anemic Cockerels
Background and Objective: Food supplements and plant extracts are used farmers to boost animal performance. Hepatotoxic restorative potential of Whitfieldia lateritia leaf decoction and vitali supplement on phenylhydrazine-induced anaemic cockerels was investigated. Materials and Methods: Phytochemical screening of W. lateritia leaf was carried out using standard methods. Sixty (60) cockerels were purchased, acclimatized for two weeks and assigned into 12 groups (coded T1, T2—-T12) of 5 birds each, where T2,T3 and T4 received 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of the decoction, respectively; T5,T6,T7,T8,T9, T10,T11,T12 were induced anaemia using 10 mg/kg body of phenylhydrazine. This was followed by treatment of T5,T6 and T7 with 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of decoction, respectively, while T8, T9 and T10 were administered with 100, 200, 400 mg/kg body weight of vitali supplement, respectively, the T1, T11 and T12 were the normal control, negative control and baseline control, respectively. Saponin, cardiac glycosides, tannins and flavonoids were found in the W.lateritia leaf decoction. The total feed intake was lower (p<0.05) in all the text groups except T10 (anaemic cockerels) treated with 400mg supplement which compared with the normal control. The feed conversion ratio was significantly decreased (p<0.05) in T10 when compared with the control and groups treated with decoction. There was a significant increase (P<0.05) in the weights gain and carcass weights of anaemic cockerels (T10) that received 400ng supplement compared to normal control and decoction test groups. The alanine amino transferase (ALT) activity of the test groups were significantly lower (P<0.05) when compared to the normal control, baseline control and negative control, except T4 that was treated with 400mg decoction only which was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the normal control. The AST activity of the test groups were significantly lower (P<0.05) when compared to the normal control, except T3 that was treated with 200mg decoction only which was significantly higher (P0.05) than the normal control, baseline control and negative control. Graded healing of the hepatocytes was observed among the different test groups with the anaemic groups (T8, T9, T10) treated with the vitali supplement showing the highest recovery. Conclusion: The study showed that anaemic cockerels treated with vitali supplement had better hepatotoxic restoration that the anaemic cockerels treated with decoction.
