Effects of Dietary Sickle Senna (Senna obtusifolia) Leaf Meal Supplementation on Haematological Parameters and Testosterone Levels in Noiler Cocks

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with Sickle senna (Senna obtusifolia) leaf meal (SSLM) on the haematological parameters and testosterone levels of Noiler cocks. A total of thirty-six (36) Noiler cocks aged 28 weeks were randomly assigned to four treatment groups in a completely randomized design: T1 (control, 0% SSLM), T2 (0.5% SSLM), T3 (1.0% SSLM), and T4 (1.5% SSLM). Each treatment consisted of nine birds replicated three times with three birds per replicate. The experiment lasted for six weeks. Fresh Sickle senna leaves were harvested, shade-dried, milled, and incorporated into experimental diets. Blood samples were collected at the end of the experiment for haematological (Hb, PCV, RBC, WBC, MCV, MCH, MCHC) and hormonal (testosterone, LH, FSH) analyses. Results showed that dietary inclusion of SSLM significantly (p < 0.05) reduced red blood cell (RBC) counts across all supplemented groups compared to the control, with values declining from 4.55 × 10⁶/µL (T1) to 3.20–3.51 × 10⁶/µL in treated groups. White blood cell (WBC) counts increased significantly (p < 0.05) from 63.4 × 10³/µL (T1) to 143.1–156.7 × 10³/µL in supplemented groups. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) was significantly elevated in T3 (55.19 pg), suggesting macrocytic changes. Testosterone levels were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) from 4.36 ng/mL (control) to 2.44–2.98 ng/mL in treated groups, while luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) remained unaffected. The observed reductions in RBC count and testosterone levels, coupled with marked leukocytosis, indicate that SSLM supplementation may impair erythropoiesis and reproductive function while stimulating immune responses. It is concluded that SSLM inclusion beyond 0.5% in the diet of Noiler cocks negatively impacts haematological parameters and testosterone production. For optimal health and reproductive performance in Noiler breeding cocks, dietary SSLM inclusion should not exceed 0.5%.