Effect of Aloe barbadensis gel on haematology, mortality rate and behavioural attributes of broiler chickens:

Abstract

The study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation of Aloe barbadensis M. gel on the haematological, biochemical, and behavioural responses of broiler chickens fed at four dietary levels (T1-T4). Among the haematological indices assessed, Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) was the only parameter significantly affected by treatment, with T4 recording the highest value (35.3 mm/hr) and T3 the lowest (30.3 mm/hr); Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) separated the means in the order T4 > T1 > T2 > T3, with T3 significantly lower than T4. All other haematological indices, such as PCV, Hb, WBC, RBC, MCV, MCHC, and the neutrophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte differential counts did not significantly differ among the treatments. Whereas serum conjugated bilirubin was the only highly significant parameter in the serum biochemical assessment, with T1 recording the highest value (1.100 µmol/L), significantly greater than T2, T3, and T4, which did not differ from one another. Electrolytes, kidney function markers (urea, creatinine), liver enzymes (ASAT, ALAT, ALP), total bilirubin, total protein, and albumin were unaffected by treatment, and all kidney and liver markers remained within normal physiological ranges across treatments. None of the eight behavioural variables assessed differed significantly among treatments, although Feeding and Drinking  behaviours showed numerical trends approaching significance. These findings suggest that Aloe barbadensis gel supplementation had a largely neutral effect on the overall haematological, biochemical, and behavioural status of broiler chickens, with isolated effects on MCH and conjugated bilirubin that do not indicate hepatotoxic or nephrotoxic outcomes.

Keywords: Aloe barbadensis M, haematological indices, serum biochemistry, liver enzymes, behavioural responses