EVALUATION OF CESTRUM-DIURNUM AS AN ALTERNATIVE OF VITAMIN-D-3 IN BROILER FEEDING

Cestrum diurnum contains as its active principle 1 alpha 25 dihydroxic holecalciferol (1 alpha 5 (OH)(2)D-3 a metabolite of vitamin D-3. Ther efore, the dry and ground leaves of this plant were evaluated by repla cing vitamin D-3 in the vitamin/mineral premix (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% ) in 1080 broilers from the commercial hybrid E24 from 5 to 49 days of age and of both sexes. The product efficiency was six times higher th an the vitamin and two levels were used as reference (3600 and 2400 IU /kg in starting and finishing diets and 1000 IU/12.89 MJ of ME/kg in t he diet throughout fattening, but the substitution was conducted from the lowest level. The productive performance was similar between exper imental treatments, with feeding conversions varying from 2.11 to 2.19 . Clinical symptoms of D avitaminosis were not observed nor alternatio ns of the mineral metabolism. However, at 51 days of age there was a d ecrease in bon calcium and phosphorus at levels which differed from th e control were 75 and 100%. The results suggested that it is possible to obtain a beneficial effect from potentially poisonous to obtain a b eneficial effect from potentially poisonous plants for poultry feeding , thus further studies on this field should be carried out.