Physiological and Adipokine Responses of Broiler Chickens Fed Aspergillus niger-Fermented Cassava Peel Diets as a Replacement for Maize

Cassava peels are abundant agro-industrial by-products, but their direct use is limited by high fibre and cyanogenic compounds.Microbial fermentation, particularly with Aspergillus niger, offers a potential approach to improving their nutritional and functional value.This study evaluated the physiological responses of broiler chickens fed A. nigerfermented cassava peels as partial replacements for maize.A total of 90 one-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments: a control diet (0% replacement) and diets with 25% and 50% maize replacement using A. niger-fermented cassava peels for 42 days.The results revealed that broilers fed the 25% replacement diet exhibited a significant reduction in serum ghrelin concentration (p < 0.05) compared with the control and 50% groups, whereas serum leptin levels showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) among dietary treatments.Inflammatory cytokine analysis revealed significant reductions in interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α concentrations in both replacement groups (p < 0.05), while interleukin-10 and interleukin-12 remained unchanged (p > 0.05).Antioxidant activity showed that fermented cassava peel diets significantly enhanced superoxide dismutase, glutathione Stransferase, and reduced glutathione activities in breast and thigh muscles (p < 0.05).Aspergillus niger-fermented cassava peel can effectively replace maize at moderate levels, supporting improved metabolic regulation, reduced systemic inflammation, and enhanced antioxidant defence in broiler chickens.