Antinutritional effects of Crotalaria ochroleuca (marejea) in animal feed supplements

Antinutritional effects of Crotalaria ochroleuca (marejea) in animal feed supplements were studied in rats fed marejea supplemented rations. Six rations supplemented with 10, 30 or 50% marejea seed or leaf meals were tested for toxic effects compared with 1 control ration. Thirty-five mature rats whose mean weight was 55.8 g were randomly assigned to the 7 rations. The daily performance was observed. After 35 d of the feeding, the rats were killed and a postmortem examination was performed to assess the condition of the internal organs. Mean daily gains were 0.15 and 0.93 g, total gains were 5.20 and 32.55 g, and the final weights were 163.42 and 188.75 g for the rats on marejea seed and marejea leaf meals, respectively. Growth performance deteriorated with increasing levels of seed and leaf supplementation. Rats on 10% marejea leaf meal had normal growth performance. Postmortem examination showed that internal organs of animals on 30 or 50% marejea seed and 50% marejea leaf meals were severely damaged. Rats on 10% marejea leaf meal had normal internal organs. It appears that supplementation with marejea leaf meal at low levels could bring about good results but more experiments are required for verification of the precise levels and forms of supplementation.