Assessment Of Protein Quality Of Processed Melon Seed As A Component Of Poultry Feed

Ninety six day - old broiler chicks were used in a 4 - week feeding trial to determine the protein quality of processed melon seed as a component of broiler chick diet. The protein quality was assessed using blood associated parameters including Haemoglobin indices and selected serum enzymes. The processed melon seed meals were Raw Melon Seed Meal (RMM), Fermented Melon Seed Meal (FMM) and Fermented Cooked Melon Seed Meal (FCMM). The three test ingredients (RMM, FMM and FCMM) were included as the sole source of protein in a basal broiler chick starter diet. The soybean seed meal (SBM) based commercial broiler chick starter diet served as the control. Blood associated parameters like Haemoglobin (Hb), PCV, RBC, WBC, Total Protein, Creatinine, Uric acid, GPT, GOT and ALP were used to assess the protein quality of the diets fed. There were four (4) experimental groups, each made up of eight birds in three replicates, allocated to the experimental diets (SBM (Control), RMM, FMM and FCMM) respectively. Of all the groups of broiler chicks, those placed on the FCMM diet gave blood associated parameters that were similar in value to those of the broiler chicks placed on the control (SBM) diet; while values obtained for broiler chicks placed on the other diets RMM and FMM were quite low. The results indicated that the processing of melon seeds by cooking and fermentation made the protein in melon seed more available to the broiler chicks, and also removed some or all of the antinutritional factors in raw melon seed. It is therefore concluded that the simultaneous processing of melon seed using cooking and fermentation techniques before its inclusion in broiler chick starter diets, enhances the protein quality and status of melon seed as a component of broiler starter diet.