Evaluation of nutraceutical properties of Leucaena leucocephala leaf pellets fed to goat kids infected with Haemonchus contortus

• Published in: BMC veterinary research Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 280 - 10
• Main Authors: Marie-Magdeleine, Carine, Ceriac, Steve, Barde, Dingamgoto Jesse, Minatchy, Nathalie, Periacarpin, Fred, Pommier, Frederic, Calif, Brigitte, Philibert, Lucien, Bambou, Jean-Christophe, Archimède, Harry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 10-08-2020; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animals; anthelmintic; Anthelmintic agents; Anthelmintics - therapeutic use; Care and treatment; Composition; Developmental stages; Diet; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Supplements; Dry matter; Eggs; feed; Feed supplements; Feeds; Female; Food and nutrition; Functional foods; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; gastrointestinal parasite; Goat Diseases - drug therapy; Goat Diseases - parasitology; goat kid; Goats; Haemonchiasis - drug therapy; Haemonchiasis - veterinary; Haemonchus - drug effects; Haemonchus - growth & development; Haemonchus contortus; Health aspects; Infections; Integrated control; Legumes; Leucaena; Leucaena leucocephala; Life Sciences; Male; Medicago sativa; Nitrogen; nutraceutical; Nutrition research; Parasite Egg Count - veterinary; Parasites; Pelleting; Plant Leaves; Proteins; Roundworm infections; Testing; Worms; Guadeloupe; feed; goat kid; gastrointestinal parasite; nutraceutical; anthelmintic; growth; Leucaena leucocephala; Goat kid; Anthelmintic; Growth; Nutraceutical; Gastrointestinal parasite; Feed
• ISSN: 1746-6148; 1746-6148
• DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02471-8

Leucaena leucocephala, as a shrub legume rich in condensed tannins, is a candidate for the integrated control of gastrointestinal parasitic pathogen nematodes. Here, we investigated the anthelmintic potential of the nutraceutical L. leucocephala, transformed into pellets, against Haemonchus contortus.
Creole goat kids were fed an iso-nitrogenous diet of Dichantium hay with alfalfa pellets or Leucaena pellets or an alfalfa-leucaena mixture in varying ratios. The artificial infection of kids with H. contortus led to infection levels comparable to those observed in the farm environment on the basis of egg excretion. The anthelmintic activity of Leucaena, compared to alfalfa, was demonstrated by its potential to reduce egg excretions (1524 vs. 3651 eggs/g) and the larval development of excreted eggs (3.5 vs. 24%). This anthelmintic potential was reported when the ratio of Leucaena incorporation in the diet was high (50% DM intake). The voluntary dry matter intake (79.3 vs. 77.0 g Large Weigth
), the total tract dry matter digestion (0.585 vs. 0.620), and the growth (57.1 vs. 71.3 g/d) of kids fed Leucaena compared to alfalfa indicate that Leucaena has a high feed value. The Leucaena, even at the highest intakes in the diets, has not shown any signs of poisoning in kids.
Leucaena fulfilled the conditions to be a good nutraceutical, and pelleting is a good method for its use.