Effect of Alligator Weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) Supplementation on Production Performance, Immune Response and Antioxidant Function of Improved Rural Chicken

Alligator weed (AW; <i>Alternanthera philoxeroides</i>) can have severe ecological and economic consequences by impacting water quality, flow and the growth of native flora and fauna. Plants, both edible and inedible, contain phenolics, compounds that can serve as antioxidants. Using this background information, the study aimed to explore the possible antioxidative nature of AW by incorporating it as a supplement on production performance, gene expression, and antioxidant levels during the summer and winter seasons in improved-variety rural chicks. A total of 400 improved-variety Vanaraja chicks (35 days old), were used in each of the two seasons (summer and winter), making a combined total of 800 birds (<i>n</i> = 400 for each summer and winter season). The chicks were subjected to four experimental dietary treatments over a 35-day period during both seasons. The experimental diet consisted of the following: a control diet without any supplements (C); basal diet + 1% AW (T₁); basal diet + 2% AW(T₂); and basal diet + 4% AW(T₃). The production performance, cytokine gene expression (<i>IFN-γ</i>, <i>IL-1β</i>, <i>IL-6</i>, <i>IL-12</i> and <i>iNOS</i>) and serum antioxidants, viz. catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were evaluated. The results indicated that body weight, average body weight gain and weekly feed intake in the T₁ group was significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) higher as compared to the other groups. The FCR in group T₁ was significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) lower during winter than in summer. A significant (<i>p</i> < 0.001) upregulation in the expression of <i>IL-6</i>, <i>IL-1β</i> and <i>IL-12</i> in T₁ as compared to the other groups was reported. <i>IFN-γ</i>, <i>IL-1β</i>, <i>IL-6</i> and <i>iNOS</i> were significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.001) upregulated in winter. SOD and CAT activity was significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.001) higher in T₁ compared to C, and both were significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) higher during winter than in summer. The results suggested that AW has the potential to mitigate the consequences of cold stress on growth, immune response, and antioxidant function during winter. We propose adding 1% AW, which can possibly function as an antioxidant, to the diet of chicks to enhance their production performance and immunity levels.