Effects of Dietary Mulberry Leaves on Growth, Production Performance, Gut Microbiota, and Immunological Parameters in Poultry and Livestock: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Overview

Journal Anim Biosci

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2024 Feb 29

PMID 38419533

Authors

Bing Geng

Jinbo Gao

Hongbing Cheng

Guang Guo

Zhaohong Wang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of dietary mulberry leaves on the growth, production performance, gut microbiota, and immunological parameters of poultry and livestock.

Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were systematically analyzed to identify pertinent studies up to December 2022. The effects of mulberry leaf diet was assessed using the weighted mean difference, and the 95% confidence interval was calculated using a random-effects model.

Results: In total, 18 studies that sampled 2,335 poultry and livestock were selected for analysis. Mulberry leaves improved the average daily gain and reduced the feed/meat ratio in finishing pigs, and the average daily gain and average daily feed intake in chicken. In production performance, mulberry leaves lowered the half carcass weight, slaughter rate, and loin eye area in pigs, and the slaughter rate in chickens. Regarding meat quality in pigs, mulberry leaves reduced the cooked meat percentage, shear force, crude protein, and crude ash, and increased the 24 h pH and water content. In chickens, it increased the drip loss, shear force, 45 min and 24 h pH, crude protein, and crude ash. Mulberry leaves also affect the abundances of gut microbiota, including Bacteroides, Prevotella, Megamonas, Escherichia-Shigella, Butyricicoccus, unclassified Ruminococcaceae, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Escherichia coli in poultry and livestock. Mulberry leaves at different doses were associated with changes in antioxidant capacity in chickens, and immune organ indexes in pigs. With respect to egg quality, mulberry leaves at different doses improved the shell strength, yolk color, eggshell thickness, and eggshell weight. However, moderate doses diminished the egg yolk ratio and the egg yolk moisture content.

Conclusion: In general, dietary mulberry leaves improved the growth, production performance, and immunological parameters in poultry and livestock, although the effects varied at different doses.

Citing Articles

Meat Quality, Intestinal Microbiology and Serum Biochemical Parameters of Broilers Fed Different Levels of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) and Mulberry (Morus alba) Leaves Powder.

Aziz-Aliabadi F, Noruzi H, Hassanabadi A Vet Med Sci. 2025; 11(1):e70213.

PMID: 39821507 PMC: 11737304. DOI: 10.1002/vms3.70213.

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