Effect of L-Dopa on performance and serum cholesterol of Nera black pullets

Abstract

L-Dopa in raw or processed mucuna seed, in the presence of antinutritional factors, has been implicated to have caused nutritional disorders in monogastrics. However, the use of pure LDopa is established in broilers and quails to enhance growth performance, cholesterol profile, and reproductive organs without detrimental effect. Information on the effect of LDopa on hydrolysis of triglycerides and growth performance in laying birds is scanty. In a 56-day experiment, 300 eight-weeks old Nera Black layers were fed diets supplemented with LDopa at 0.0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4% dietary levels respectively in a completely randomized design. Feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were determined. Blood (5mL) was sampled from two birds per replicate at the end of the feeding trial to determine serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein and blood parameters using standard procedures. Data were analysed using  descriptive statistics and ANOVA at á0.05. The L-Dopa inclusion at all dietary inclusion levels did not significantly influence the feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio, serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein and blood parameters. There were no observable significant differences in all the parameters measured probably because of the growing stage of the experimental birds. It can therefore be concluded that L-Dopa supplementation in the diets of pullets at 0.1% to 0.4% inclusion levels did not cause any deleterious effect on the overall performance.

Keywords: L-Dopa, growth performance, blood metabolites, serum cholesterol, Nera black pullets