Effects of Sida hermaphrodita leaf meal on growth performance, carcass quality and gastrointestinal tract development in broiler chickens

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with Sida hermaphrodita leaf meal (SH meal) on growth performance, carcass quality, breast muscle chemical composition, and gastrointestinal function in broiler chickens.The experimental material consisted of 100 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens (male), divided into five groups (10 replicates, 2 birds per replicate).The control group received a standard diet without SH meal, while the experimental groups were fed diets containing 1, 2, 3, and 4% SH meal.The parameters assessed included growth performance, breast muscle chemical composition, carcass quality, gastrointestinal tract morphology, digesta pH, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration.Dietary inclusion of SH meal at levels up to 4% had no negative effects on final growth performance, carcass quality traits, or gastrointestinal tract structure.Total SCFA levels were not affected by SH meal addition, but caecal isobutyric acid concentration was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in birds fed SH-supplemented diets.Moreover, broilers fed diets supplemented with 3% and 4% SH meal were characterised by increased digesta viscosity (P < 0.05).These findings indicate that SH meal can be included in broiler diets at levels up to 4% over the entire rearing period without detrimental effects.Further research is needed to expand knowledge on the functional efficacy of SH meal in poultry nutrition.