ALAGBE Olujimi John, born on March 29, 1981, in Kano State, Nigeria, is an experienced academic and professional in Animal Science. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Abuja (2024), an M.Sc. (2019), and a B.Tech in Animal Production & Health (2008). He also attended Virginia State University and the University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension for specialized courses in livestock and beef cattle production. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) and the Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN). His teaching career includes roles as a Lecturer at Sumitra Research Institute, Gujarat, India (2021–2023) and Sumitra Vocational Institute (2019–2021), where he taught various animal science subjects. He has also worked as a Poultry/Feed Mill Manager at Singh Nurtures and Integrated Farms in India (2011–2018) and as a Science Teacher in Taraba State (2009–2010). Olujimi's blend of academic qualifications, professional experience, and international exposure makes him a strong candidate for the position of Lecturer I
Canarium parvum leaf essential oil supplemented in the diet of Japanese quails: effect on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, Immune and haematological parameters
A 30 days study was carried out to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of Canarium parvum essential oil on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, haematological and immune parameters of Japanese quails. A total of 150 2 weeks old Japanese quails (mixed sex) were randomly divided into five groups each with 50 birds. Each treatment group was further sub-divided in to five groups each with 10 chicks of comparable group weight. . Standard diet (Corn-soya meal based diet) was formulated according to the nutritional requirement for quails recommended by Nutritional Research Council (1994). A completely randomized design was adopted and birds in group A was fed standard diet only (control) while those in group B, C, D and E received standard diet supplemented with Canarium parvum essential oil at 200 mg, 400 mg, 600 mg and 800 mg per kg diet. Quails had unlimited access to fresh water and feed. Average daily weight gain and average daily feed intake were higher in birds fed Canarium parvum essential oil (B, C, D and E) compared to control (group A) (p?0.05). Dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract and nitrogen free extract digestibility were higher among birds in group B, C, D and E compared to A (p?0.05). Immunoglobulin A, G and M, protein and energy utilization were influenced (p?0.05) by the treatment. Lipase count ranged from 28.59 - 36.71 ng/mL, amylase (181.3 - 238.9 ng/mL), amylase (0.97 to 1.45 ng/mL), energy intake (2814.8 - 2937.37 ME/kcal/bird) and protein intake (222.34 - 232.12 g/bird) were affected. Hematocrit, red blood cell, hemoglobin and total leucocyte count were significantly different (p?0.05) among the groups. However, their values were within the established range for quails. It was concluded that Canarium parvum essential oil is rich in multiple bioactive compounds and can be supplemented in the diet of quails without compromising their performance and health state.
As the poultry industry shifts away from the widespread use of antibiotics for growth promotion, there is need to adopt other techniques to provide a safe supply of animal protein (meat and eggs) for consumers while maintaining high standards of animal health and welfare (John, 2024c; Musa et al., 2020). Essential oils is significantly gaining global interest because they are safe, eco-friendly and has no withdrawal period due to the presence of bioactive compounds (phytochemicals) (John, 2024b; Adewale et al., 2021). They volatile compounds that can be extracted from different parts of plants (seeds, leaves, flowers, bud and stem bark) and its composition can be influenced by age of plants, species, extraction method and geographical location (Singh et al., 2022; Ojediran et al., 2024). Among the potential essential oils with numerous phyto-constituents and medicinal properties are those from Canarium parvum leaves. Canarium parvum is an evergreen shrub that belongs to the family Burseraceae and can grow between 120 – 150 feet tall (Thang et al., 2014; Thang et al., 2004). The genus Canarium are made up of 120 species spread across tropical Africa and some parts of Asia including India (Gurusamy et al., 2020; Nagawa et al., 2015). The tree’s branch is about 3 – 5 mm in diameter while its pinnate leaves are alternately arranged with 2 to 4 pairs of leaflets (Tahir et al., 2021; Guo et al., 2009). The leaves, stems and roots of Canarium parvum are rich in tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids amongst others which have therapeutic properties such as, antioxidant, antimicrobial, immune-modulatory, hypoglycemia, hypocholesterolemia, hepatoprotective, gastro-protective, cytotoxic, antifungal, antiviral, antimicrobial, analgesics, anti-heminthic, antidiabetic, anti-ulcer and antidiarrheal properties (Giang et al., 2006; Galovicova et al., 2020). Ethno-medically, aqueous extract from Canarium parvum leaves can be used extensively in the treatment of skin infection, stomach ache, fever, hepatitis, jaundice, cirrhosis, the elimination of intestinal parasites (Okhale et al., 2019; Dongmo et al., 2010). The essential oil from Canarium parvum leaves can inhibit the growth of Salmonella spp, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp, Aspergillus spp and Streptococcus spp (Engonga et al., 2012) Scientific studies have shown that essential oils can influence intestinal microbiota, increased digestibility and nutrient absorption, improvement of the immune response, morphological and histological modifications of the gastrointestinal tract and antioxidant activity (Shittu et al., 2023; Muritala et al., 2022). It also has strong capability for scavenging superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide from activated macrophages, reducing iron complex and inhibiting lipid peroxidation (Alagbe, et al., 2022; Adewale et al., 2021). However, most of the result obtained are inconsistent, disparity in findings could be attributed to the type or part of medicinal plant used for essential oil extraction, compatibility with other feed ingredients as well as level of supplementation in diet. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of Canarium parvum essential oil on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, haematological and immune parameters of Japanese quails.