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Palm oil is a natural energy source ingredient in poultry diets that offers a broad range of beneficial effects on the performance of broiler chickens. This review was conducted to highlight the impact of palm oil as a feed ingredient on growth performance and carcass quality, as well as the biochemical, antioxidant activity and tissue fatty acids (FA) composition of broiler chickens. Palm oil inclusion in broiler chickens' rations contributes significantly to the high metabolisable energy (ME) of feed formulation, increases feed palatability and decreases digesta passage rate in the intestine. The reviewed literature indicated that dietary palm oil has a beneficial effect on broiler chickens' overall growth performance traits. The addition of palm oil can also improve the heat tolerance of chickens reared in high ambient temperature conditions. Regardless of breed and breeding conditions, palm oil exhibits good oxidative stability in broiler chickens due to the presence of prevalent phytonutrient elements in this oil. The inclusion of palm oil increased palmitic (C

Oil palm frond (OPF) is a biomass residue from oil palm plantations that has received increasing interest for its promise as roughage resources to overcome limitations of ruminant feeding. However, the use of OPF as a feedstuff for optimal livestock productivity is limited by its high lignocellulosic content and low nutritional value. Chemical composition revealed that OPF was composed of 70% fibre and 22% soluble carbohydrates on a dry matter (DM) basis. Various physical, chemical, biological and physico-chemical treatments have been used to improve the digestibility of nutrients and the nutritional value of OPF. This review was conducted to study the treatment methods of OPF as a value-added feedstuff, and, to emphasize on the effects of treated OPF on in vitro ruminal fermentation and in vivo ruminant digestibility coefficients and growth performance. Biological treatment produced favourable outcomes in improving the nutritional value of OPF, and was more cost-effective, safe and environmentally friendly as compared to chemical and physical treatments. In vitro rumen fermentation studies on the digestibility and potential use of treated OPF as quality feedstuffs for ruminants have been widely reported. Several in vivo studies have found that small ruminants performed satisfactorily when fed diets with treated or pre-digested OPF at appropriate ratios. Nevertheless, chemically treated OPF has been found to be successfully used in both beef and dairy cattle feeding trials as it is a good source of protein and energy that can increase digestibility coefficients and have positive impacts on ruminal fermentation profiles and animal production.

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