{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T12:26:20Z","timestamp":1791375980283,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,4]],"date-time":"2025-09-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756944000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Modern Agricultural Industry System","award":["CARS-15-25"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CARS-15-25"]}]},{"name":"National Modern Agricultural Industry System","award":["2024YFD1300204"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024YFD1300204"]}]},{"name":"National Modern Agricultural Industry System","award":["2023YFD1301705"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023YFD1301705"]}]},{"name":"14th Five-Year Plan Key Research and Development Program","award":["CARS-15-25"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CARS-15-25"]}]},{"name":"14th Five-Year Plan Key Research and Development Program","award":["2024YFD1300204"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024YFD1300204"]}]},{"name":"14th Five-Year Plan Key Research and Development Program","award":["2023YFD1301705"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023YFD1301705"]}]},{"name":"Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institution (PAPD)","award":["CARS-15-25"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CARS-15-25"]}]},{"name":"Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institution (PAPD)","award":["2024YFD1300204"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024YFD1300204"]}]},{"name":"Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institution (PAPD)","award":["2023YFD1301705"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023YFD1301705"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Excessive use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in broiler rearing has led to severe issues due to antimicrobial resistance and drug residues in meat. This study was conducted to evaluate aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MOLE) as a natural alternative to antibiotics in broiler chickens. 150 broiler chicks were randomly distributed into five groups: one control, three MOLE-treated groups (60, 90, and 120 mL\/L), and one Enrofloxacin-treated group (an antibiotic). The birds were monitored for a 35-day trial period, split further into a starter phase (0\u201321 days) and a finisher phase (22\u201335 days). The results were that at the starter phase of their lives, birds treated with MOLE120 experienced better body weight gain and optimal feed conversion ratio (FCR), which showed improved early growth performance. In the finisher phase, the MOLE90 group demonstrated the best FCR and a favorable weight gain, showing better efficiency at later stages. Crude protein digestibility was highest in the MOLE90 group (69.97%), and apparent metabolizable energy also increased in all MOLE-treated groups, especially MOLE120 (2938.9 kcal\/kg). Regarding the blood lipid profile, the MOLE90 group had the lowest low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (82.3 mg\/dL) and cholesterol (181.7 mg\/dL), while MOLE120 achieved the highest high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level (92.6 mg\/dL) with significant (p &lt; 0.05) effects across all parameters. Triglycerides were slightly higher in MOLE groups but remained within physiological limits. In conclusion, MOLE supplementation, particularly at 90\u2013120 mL\/L, improved performance and blood lipid metabolism in a phase-specific manner. MOLE120 was more effective in early growth, while MOLE90 proved optimal in the finishing stage. This study supports the potential of MOLE as a phytogenic substitute for antibiotics in poultry production.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci12090860","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]],"date-time":"2025-09-05T07:46:17Z","timestamp":1757058377000},"page":"860","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Efficacy of Aqueous Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract as a Natural Alternative to Antibiotics in Broiler Chickens: Impacts on Growth, Digestibility, and Blood Lipid Profile"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Rifat Ullah","family":"Jan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"},{"name":"Livestock and Dairy Development Department (Research Wing), Peshawar 25100, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Muhammad","family":"Ayaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Livestock and Dairy Development Department (Research Wing), Peshawar 25100, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7813-3861","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shah Zeb","family":"Ahmad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Muhammad","family":"Tahir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Muhammad Irfan","family":"Khan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Muhammad","family":"Iftikhar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huanyong","family":"Han","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi 832000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-8993-3507","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hosameldeen Mohamed","family":"Husien","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Metabolic Manipulation of Herbivorous Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"},{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Albutana University, Rufaa 22217, Sudan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7349-3980","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zang","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mengzhi","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103987","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psj.2024.103987","article-title":"Alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters for poultry: A bibliometric analysis of the research journals","volume":"103","author":"Wickramasuriya","year":"2024","journal-title":"Poult. 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