IMPACT OF BOILED MORINGA (Moringa oleifera) SEEDS ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND HAEMATOLOGY OF RABBITS INFECTED WITH Trypanosoma brucei brucei

Abstract

The study was aimed at evaluating the inhibitory potentials of boiled Moringa oleifera seeds against Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Growth performance, parasitaemia, haematology and Red Blood Cell morphology of T. brucei brucei infected rabbits were determined. 30 mixed sex and breeds of rabbits approximately 90 days old were distributed into 5 treatments with 6 replicates each in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Each rabbit was infected with 0.2 mL inoculums and treatments 1 to 5 were fed with diets containing; diet 1 (0 % boiled Moringa seeds), diet 2 (1.5 % boiled Moringa seeds ), diet 3 (3 % boiled Moringa seeds), diet 4 (4.5 % boiled Moringa seeds) and diet 5 (6 % boiled Moringa seeds) respectively . Descriptive statistics, One way ANOVA and DMRT were used for data analysis. Results revealed that only T. brucei brucei-infected rabbits fed 3 % boiled Moringa seeds recorded weight gain. Blood parameters from T. brucei brucei infected rabbits revealed failure of the boiled Moringa seeds inclusion (up to 6 %) to prevent infection as values of blood parameters in all treatments were either below or above reference range except lymphocyte (40-80 %) where only the control (38.67 %) was below reference range. Anisocytosis (+), Hypochromatic cells (++), Polychromatic cells (+) and Toxic Granulation of the Neutrophils (+) were observed in all infected rabbits and only rabbit fed diet 3 recorded Normocytic and Normochromic Red Blood Cells. In conclusion, graded levels of boiled Moringa seeds up to 6 % failed to prevent the Trypanosomosis infection. The study recommends 3 % inclusion of boiled Moringa oleifera seeds in feed for optimal growth performance to ameliorate emaciation in Trypanosomosis.