Dietary Supplementation of Encapsulated Dendrophthoe pentandra Leaf Extract in Broilers under High Stocking Density
Abstract
High stocking density can compromise broiler welfare and physiological homeostasis, but the magnitude of the challenge depends on housing and environmental conditions. This study evaluated whether encapsulated Dendrophthoe pentandra leaf extract modified production performance, hematological and serum biochemical variables, relative immune organ weights, and antioxidant status in broilers reared at high stocking density. A total of 300 Cobb CP 707 broiler chicks were assigned to four treatments with five pen replicates: T0, 9 birds/m²; T1, 17 birds/m²; T2, 17 birds/m² plus 0.5 g/kg encapsulated D. pentandra leaf extract; and T3, 17 birds/m² plus 1.0 g/kg extract. Variables measured included daily feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, blood profile, serum biochemistry, lymphoid organ weights, and antioxidant activity. Results showed that the treatment significantly improved daily feed intake and increased the relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius (p<0.05). Platelet distribution width (PDW) and thrombocyte counts were significantly lower in extract-supplemented groups compared to controls. However, the treatment did not significantly affect daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, most blood biochemical profiles, albumin, SGOT, SGPT, SOD, or MDA activity (p>0.05). The T2 treatment (0.5 g extract) yielded optimal improvements without adverse effects on other measured variables. These findings suggest that encapsulated D. pentandra leaf extract can serve as a natural supplement to enhance feed intake and immune organ development, supporting broiler health and performance under high-density rearing conditions in tropical environments. This approach offers a promising strategy to mitigate the negative impacts of high stocking density in poultry production.
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