Effects of Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) Leaf Supplementation in Broiler Diets on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65411/rst.2026.266476Keywords:
Broiler, Cannabis, Growth performance, Carcass characteristics, Meat qualityAbstract
This study investigated the effects of supplementing broiler diets with Cannabis sativa L. leaves on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. A total of 150 unsexed broiler chicks (aged 7 days) were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments with three replicates per treatment and 10 birds per replicate. The treatments included a control group fed a basal diet and four experimental groups receiving the basal diet supplemented with 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% cannabis leaf powder, respectively. The birds were raised in an open-house system with ad libitum access to feed and water throughout the trial. The results showed that cannabis leaf supplementation had no significant effect on feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P > 0.05). However, supplementation at 0.5% significantly increased final body weight and average daily gain (ADG) (P < 0.01), while the 2% supplementation level resulted in a significant reduction in these parameters (P < 0.01). Regarding carcass characteristics, the 0.5% supplementation level increased the percentage of breast and tenderloin yields (P < 0.01), whereas the 2% level reduced neck yield (P < 0.05). Meat quality parameters, including pH, water-holding capacity, and sensory attributes, were unaffected by dietary cannabis supplementation (P > 0.05). However, the 1% supplementation level resulted in a significantly higher b* value in drumstick meat (P < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementing broiler diets with 0.5% cannabis leaf powder may enhance growth performance and improve carcass characteristics without negatively affecting meat quality. Further studies are recommended to determine the optimal inclusion level for practical applications in poultry nutrition.
References
Abey, N.O. 2018. Cannabis sativa (Marijuana) alters blood chemistry and the cytoarchitecture of some organs in Sprague Dawley rat models. Food and Chemical Toxicology 116(2018): 292-297.
AOAC. 1990. Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Analytical Chemists (40th ed). Washington, D.C., USA.
Aviagen. 2022. Ross broiler: Nutrition specifications. The local Aviagen, US.
Bernstein, N., Gorelick, J. and Koch, S. 2019. Interplay between chemistry and morphology in medical cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.). Industrial Crops and Products 129: 185-194.
Bień, D., Michalczuk, M., Jóźwik, A., Matuszewski, A. and Konieczka, P. 2024. Effects of Cannabis sativa extract on growth performance, meat physicochemical properties, and oxidative status in chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens and lipopolysaccharide. Animal Science Papers and Reports 42(1): 21-108.
Chen, T., He, J., Zhang, J., Li, X., Zhang, H., Hao, J. and Li, L. 2012. The isolation and identification of two compounds with predominant radical scavenging activity in hempseed (seed of Cannabis sativa L.). Food Chemistry 134: 1030-1037.
Chompreeda, P. 1993. Sensory Evaluation. Kasetsart University, Bangkok. (in Thai)
Famii, Z.L. and Oluwafeyikemi, E.U. 2024. The effect of feed Supplementation with Cannabis sativa on the Growth rate and Development of Broiler Chicks. Newport International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences (NIJRMS) 5(3): 29-33.
Faria, P.B., Bressan, M.C., Souza, X.R., Rossato, L.V., Botega, L.M.G. and Gama, L.T. 2010. Carcass and parts yield of broilers reared under a semi-extensive system. Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science 3: 153-159.
Goldberg, E.M., Gakhar, N., Ryland, O., Aliani, M., Gibson, R.A. and House, J.D. 2012. Fatty acid profile and sensory characteristics of table eggs from laying hens fed hempseed and hempseed oil. Journal of Food Science 77(4): 153-160.
Goyal, H., Awad, H.H. and Ghali, J.K. 2017. Role of cannabis in cardiovascular disorders. Journal of Thoracic Disease 9(7): 2079-2092.
Hazekamp, A., Bastola, K., Rashidi, H., Bender, J. and Verpoorte, R. 2007. Cannabis tea revisited: A systematic evaluation of the cannabinoid composition of cannabis tea. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 113(1): 85-90.
He, Q., Zhang, Z., Tian, H., Wang, H., Lu, X., Deng, H., Yang, F., Tang, X., Wang, J., Li, Z., Li, H., Shen, S., Lu, Y. and Huang, J. 2024. Effects of partial replacement of soybean meal with hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.) cake on the growth and meat quality in female three-yellow chickens. Poultry Science 104(2025): 104466.
KaiĆ, A., StamiČar, M., Škorput, D., UgarkoviĆ, N.K. and JanjeČiĆ, Z. 2024. The effect of dietary supplementation with leaves of industrial hemp (Canabis sativa L.) on the carcass and meat quality traits of broiler breast meat. Journal of Central European Agriculture 25(4): 919-931.
Kanbur, G. 2022. Growth-depressing effect of dietary hempseed oil on broiler performance in the starting period and alterations in meat oxidation, serum parameters and abdominal fatty acids. Animal Science Papers and Reports 40(2): 203-216.
Karoly, C.H., Mueller, R.L., Bidwell, L.C. and Hutchison, K.E. 2019. Cannabinoids and the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: Emerging Effects of Cannabidiol and Potential Applications to Alcohol Use Disorders. Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research 44(2): 340-353.
Khajaren, J. 2013. The Application of Herbal Medicine in Thai Animal Feed: Progress Towards ASEAN Standards. Khon Kaen Agriculture Journal 41(4): 369-376. (in Thai)
Khan R.U., Durrani, F.R., Chand, N. and Anwar, H. 2010. Influence of feed supplementation with Cannabis sativa on quality of broilers carcass. Pakistan Veterinary Journal 30(1): 34-38.
Konieczka, P., Wojtasik-Kalinowska, I., Poltorak, A., Kinsner, M., Szkopek, D., Fotschki, B., Juśkiewicz, J., Banach, J. and Michalczuk, M. 2022. Cannabidiol affects breast meat volatile compounds in chickens subjected to different infection models. Scientific Reports 12: 18940.
Kopsell, D.A., Kopsell, D.E. and Curran-Celentano, J. 2005. Carotenoid and chlorophyll pigments in sweet basil grown in the field and greenhouse. Horticultural Science 40: 1230-1233.
Lawrie, R.A. and Ledward, D.A. 2006. Lawrie’s meat science (7th ed). Woodhead Publishing Limited, England.
Maqbool, J., Anwar, H., Rasul, A., Imran, A., Saadullah, M., Malik, S.A., Shabbir, A., Akram, R., Sajid, F., Zafar, S., Saeed, S., Akram, M.N., Islam, F., Hussain, G. and Islam, S. 2023. Comparative evaluation of ethyl acetate and n-Hexane extracts of Cannabis sativa L. leaves for muscle function restoration after peripheral nerve lesion. Food Science & Nutrition 11(2023): 2767-2775.
Sopian, Y., Sartsook, A., Sringarm, K., Arjin, C., Umsangkul, C., Sivapirunthep, P. and Chaosap, C. 2024. Dietary supplementation of Cannabis sativa residues in broiler chickens affects performance, carcass characteristics, intestinal morphology, blood biochemistry profile and oxidative stability. Poultry Science 103(10): 1-12.
Šťastník, O., Jůzl, M., Karásek, F., Fernandová, D., Mrkvicová, E., Pavlata, zzzl., Nedomová, S., Vyhnánek, T., Trojan, V. and Doležal, P. 2019. The effect of hempseed expellers on selected quality indicators of broiler chicken’s meat. Acta Veterinaria Brno 88: 121-128.
Tathong, T., Khamhan, S., Soisungwan, S. and Phoemchalard, C. 2024. Effects of hemp-derived cannabidiol supplementation on blood variables, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of goats. Animals 14: 1718-1730.
Tufarelli, V., Losacco, C., Tedone, L., Passantino, L., Tarricone, S., Laudadio, V. and Colonna, M.A. 2023. Hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.) cake as sustainable dietary additive in slow-growing broilers: effects on performance, meat quality, oxidative stability and gut health. Veterinary Quarterly 43(1): 1-12.
Vispute, M.M., Sharma, D., Mandal, A.B., Rokade, J.J., Tyagi, P.K. and Yadav, A.S. 2019. Effect of dietary supplementation of hemp (Cannabis sativa) and dill seed (Anethumgraveolens) on performance, serum biochemicals and gut health of broiler chickens. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 103: 525-533.
WHO. 2018. CANNABIDIOL (39th ECDD meeting). Kentucky, USA.
Wiriyacharee, P. 2018. Sensory Evaluation. Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai. (in Thai)
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Recent Science and Technology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The content and information in the article published in Journal of Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya It is the opinion and responsibility of the author of the article. The editorial journals do not need to agree. Or share any responsibility.
