Moringa oleifera products as nutraceuticals for sustainable poultry production

Moringa (Moringa oleifera) products hold promise as sources of nutraceuticals in poultry diets due to the presence of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and polyphenolic compounds with growth-boosting, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. Moringa leaves, seeds, or their extracts are among the natural additives that contain polyphenolic substances such as quercetin, catechin, alkaloids, and kaempferol that have been extensively exploited to optimise poultry nutrition. These substances can stimulate fast growth rates, boost the nutritional quality of poultry products, and suppress pathogenic gut microbial proliferation. However, high levels of primary (fibre) and secondary metabolites (tannins, saponins, cyanogenic glycoside, and phytates) in moringa seeds or leaves limit their utilization as nutraceuticals in poultry feeds. Consequently, various conflicting findings have been reported regarding the potential benefits of moringa products in poultry diets. For this review, data from 43 research articles sourced from PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, AGRICOLA, CAB Direct, and Scopus met the inclusion criteria. The review provides an overview of the nutraceutical composition of moringa products and their feeding value in poultry production. The challenges and benefits of adopting moringa products in conventional poultry diets and potential strategies that can enhance their utility in poultry nutrition to warrant a positive impact on food security were discussed. We also delved into the importance of determining optimal dosage levels given that low doses result in limited positive impacts while higher doses may cause debilitating antinutritional effects. We found that tailoring the inclusion dosages based on poultry species, physiological stages, form of moringa products, and bioprocessing techniques can mitigate the impact of antinutrients, thus allowing for higher inclusion rates. Conclusively, the use of moringa nutraceuticals could improve poultry production efficiency and promote food security and sustainable agricultural practices. Policy implications must include establishing clear guidelines for the safe and effective use of moringa products in poultry diets as alternatives to synthetic additives.