ABSTACT
Blighia sapida seed meal, BSSM was detoxified by traditional
methods of soaking and boiling followed by chemical treatments using
glycine and riboflavin. Detoxified BSSM was tested for nutritional adequacy
using 120-day old Olympiad cockerel chicks and employing performance
characteristics and nutrient retention as indicies of evaluation. Results
showed that detoxified dietary BSSM included in diets at graded levels of
15, 17.50, 20 and 22.50 depressed feed consumption, growth rate, body
weight gain and feed efficiency as the level of BSSM increased from 15%
inclusion. Similar result was observed on protein retention while the
utilization of dietary BSSM fat, fibre and mineral matter presented a reverse
result. It is concluded that inclusion of detoxified BSSM beyond 15% may
be harmful to the test animals. Further research to increase the percent
supplementation of the chemical detoxifier (riboflavin and glycine) above
the 5% level used in this study is recommended.