Incorporation of Azadirachta indica kernel in the diet of guinea pigs: Effects on digestibility and caecal health.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of addition of neem ( Azadirachta indica ) kernel powder in diet on feed chemical components digestibility and on the composition of caecal microbiota of guinea pig. One hundred and thirty guinea pigs were divided equally into four groups. For 27 days, the animals were fed once daily a standard control diet (complete concentrate) or a concentrated mixture with 2.5, 5 or 7.5% (w/w) of neem kernel incorporation. The results showed that feed intake and digestibility increased significantly with the rate of kernel incorporation. In caeca content, the log number of lactic acid bacteria and Clostridium butyricum increased quadratically (p < 0.001) with the rate of kernel incorporation while that of Escherichia coli decreased. The results suggest that neem kernel could be used as a phytogenic supplement for guinea pigs in order to improve nutrient digestibility and microbiota quality.