Haematological and biochemical parameters of broilers fed cassava pulp fermented with filamentous fungi isolated from the Indonesian fermented dried cassava

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding cassava pulp (CP) fermented with Acremonium charticola and/or Rhizopus oryzae (isolated from the Indonesian fermented dried cassava) on haematological and biochemical parameters and immune organs of broilers. A total of 440 day-old male chicks were allotted to 11 groups as follows: control diet, 80-CP (diet with 80 g/kg unfermented CP), 80-CP-AC (diet with 80 g/kg A. charticola-fermented CP), 160-CP-AC (diet with 160 g/kg CP-AC), 240-CP-AC (diet with 240 g/kg CP-AC), 80-CP-RO (diet with 80 g/kg R. oryzae-fermented CP), 160-CP-RO (diet with 160 g/kg CP-RO), 240-CP-RO (diet with 240 g/kg CP-RO), 80-CP-ACRO (diet with 80 g/kg A. charticola + R. oryzae-fermented CP), 160-CP-ACRO (diet with 160 g/kg CP-ACRO), 240-CP-ACRO (diet with 240 g/kg CP-ACRO). Blood and internal organs were sampled on day 21 and 34. The 80-CP-AC and 240-CP-AC chickens had lower (P<0.01) heterophils to lymphocytes ratio (H/L ratio), while control chickens had lower (P<0.05) thymus weight than others at day 21. At day 34, H/L ratio was higher (P<0.01) in control and 80-CP than in other chickens. The control, 80-CP and 80-CP-ACRO chickens had higher (P<0.01) albumin to globulin ratio (A/G ratio) than others. The weight of Bursa of Fabricius was lower (P<0.01) in 80-CP-ACRO chickens than others, but the difference was not significant compared to the control and 80-CP chickens. Overall, dietary inclusion of A. charticola-fermented CP up to 24% did not impair the physiological and health conditions of broilers as indicated by the haematological and biochemical parameters.