Use of a combination of cherry leaves (Muntingia calabura) and soursop leaves (Annona muricata L.) extract as antioxidants on broiler performance

Abstract

The application of a cherry leaf and soursop leaf combination as antioxidants is intended to mitigate heat stress in broilers, which is typically associated with reduced growth rates, hormonal imbalances, decreased feed intake, and overall discomfort in high-temperature conditions. This study intends to assess the impact of employing a combination of cherry leaf (CL) and soursop leaf (SL) as antioxidants on broiler performance, specifically focusing on feed consumption, body weight gain, and feed conversion efficiency. The study used a completely randomized design (CRD) comprising 5 treatments, each replicated 5 times. Each replication included 5 broiler units. Treatments consisted of TO (control), T1 (CL 9%), T2 (SL 3%), T3 (CL 6% + SL 3%), T4 (CL 3% + SL 6%). The results demonstrated that the application of a combined extract of CL and SL as antioxidants significantly influenced broiler performance. Specifically, it increased the average feed consumption in treatment T3 to 90.36 grams, enhanced body weight gain in T3 to 61.36 grams, and improved feed conversion efficiency in T3 to 1.47. The best research results were found in T3.