1ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Bengaluru, Karnatka, India
ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Bengalauru, 560 030, Karnataka, India
*Corresponding author: E-mail: sbnrao@gmail.com
Online published on 29 November, 2018.
Present experiments were conducted to test raw and detoxified neem cake as a replacement of soybean meal in the diets of Wistar rats, Replacement of up to 25% soybean meal with DNC only resulted in positive growth rate (0.60 g/d) in rats compared to control (1.55 g/d). Low levels of DNC supplementation (12.5% in experiment 1 and 25% in experiment 2) caused similar nutrient intake and digestibility compared to control group. The supplementation of DNC did not exert any abnormal changes in blood profiles. Serum testosterone levels were lower (P<0.05) in rats that received DNC at 50% and RNC at 25%. Mild changes in intestinal villi were observed in DNC 25% group. Feeding of DNC was better (P<0.05) than RNC and replacement of SBM nitrogen with DNC up to 25% did not affect growth, feed consumption, blood profiles and histopathology.
Detoxification, Digestibility, Neem seed cake, Protein Supplement, Rats
