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Membership type: full

Thobela Nkukwana

Country of origin: South Africa Currently in: South Africa, Pretoria General field of specialization: Agricultural Sciences
Academic Background

Degrees

2012 Doctorate Agricultural Sciences
Research and Profession

Current Research Activities

Agricultural Sciences

Focus on medicinal plants as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) as in-feed additives in poultry nutrition. Role of fiber in gut health of young chicks and its effect on nutrient utilization efficiency and growth performance. Balancing energy and protein requirements in poultry diets with partial supplementation non-conventional energy / protein ingredients.

Research Keywords: 
agricultural biotechnology
nutrition
Phytocompounds.
antioxidants

Publications resulting from Research: 


2016: P. Chisoro, T.T. Nkukwana, JF Mupangwa. Feed intake, growth performance and efficiency of protein utilization in broiler chickens fed on diets with different inclusion levels of baobab seed oilcake. Tropical Animal Health and Production (under review).
2015: T.T. Nkukwana, V. Muchenje, P.J. Masika, and B. Mushonga. Intestinal morphology and digesta pH of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with or without Moringa oleifera leaf meal. South African Journal of Animal Science 2015, 45 (4): 362–370.
2015: Carlos W.T. Nantapo, Voster Muchenje, Thobela T. Nkukwana, Arnold Hugo, Adriana Descalzo, Gabriela Grigioni, Louwrens C. Hoffman. Socio-economic dynamics and innovative technologies affecting health-related lipid content in diets: Implications on global food and nutrition security. Food Research International 2015, 76 (4): 879-1012.
2015: AM Dokora, TT Nkukwana, L Mapfumo, CW Nantapo, V Muchenje. Effects of garlic powder, Moringa oleifera leaf meal and their combination on the physico-chemical characteristics of beef patties over a 12 day-period of refrigeration. Food Control (under review).
2015: E.T. Kamba, V. Muchenje, P.J. Masika, T.T. Nkukwana, A. Hugo. Effect of Aloe ferox in drinking water on growth performance, serum biochemistry, physico-chemical properties, fatty acids profile and oxidative stability of broiler meat. Livestock Science (under review)
2014: T.T. Nkukwana, V. Muchenje, E. Peterse, P.J. Masika, T.P. Mabusela, L.C. Hoffman, K. Dzama (2014). Effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on growth performance, apparent digestibility, digestive organ size and carcass yield in broiler chickens. Livestock Science, 161: 139–146.
2014: T.T. Nkukwana, V. Muchenje, P.J. Masika, L.C. Hoffman, K. Dzama. The effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal supplementation on tibia strength, morphology and inorganic content of broiler chickens. South African Journal of Animal Science, 44 (3): 228–238.
2014: T.T. Nkukwana, V. Muchenje, P.J. Masika, L.C. Hoffman, K. Dzama. Proximate composition and variation in colour, drip loss and pH of breast meat from broilers supplemented with Moringa oleifera leaf meal over time. Animal Production Science (accepted December 2014).
2014: F.E. Mukumbo, V. Maphosa, A. Hugo, T.T. Nkukwana, T.P. Mabusela & V. Muchenje. Effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on finisher pig growth performance, meat quality, shelf life and fatty acid composition of pork. South African Journal of Animal Science 2014, 44 (4): 388–400.
2013: Nkukwana TT, Muchenje V, Masika PJ, Hoffman LC, Dzama K, Descalzo AM (2014). Fatty acid composition and oxidative stability of breast meat from broiler chickens supplemented with Moringa oleifera leaf meal over a period of refrigeration. Food Chemistry, 142: 255-261.
2013: C.Wapi, T.T. Nkukwana, L.C. Hoffman, K. Dzama, E. Pieterse, T. Mabusela, V. Muchenje. Physico-chemical shelf-life indicators of meat from broilers given Moringa oleifera leaf meal. South African Journal of Animal Science 2013, 43: S43–S47.
2013: C. S. Gajana, T. T. Nkukwana, U. Marume and V. Muchenje. Effects of transportation time, distance, stocking density, temperature and lairage time on incidences of pale soft exudative (PSE) and the physico-chemical characteristics of pork. Meat Science 2013, 95(3): 520–525.
2013: PhD studies – Title: The effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on growth performance, gut integrity, bone strength, quality and oxidative stability of meat from broiler chickens. A total of six papers were published from the thesis.
2010: C. S. Gajana1, T. T. Nkukwana, M. Chimonyo and V. Muchenje. Effect of altering the starter and finisher dietary phases on growth performance of broilers. African Journal of Biotechnology 2011, 10 (64): 14203–14208.
2009: N.L. Dyubele, V. Muchenje*, T.T. Nkukwana, M. Chimonyo (2009). Consumer sensory characteristics of broiler and indigenous chicken meat: A
South African example. Food Quality and Preference 2009, 21 (7): 815–819.
2009: L. Satsha and T.T. Nkukwana. Variation in growth performance between rural and broiler chickens reared on a three-phase commercial feeding program (unpublished).
2008: T.L. Khetani, T.T. Nkukwana, M. Chimonyo, V. Muchenje (2009). Effect of quantitative feed restriction on broiler performance. Tropical Animal Health and Production 2009, 41 (3): 379–384.
2005: Role of xanthophylls in layer nutrition (NuTec Technical Bulletin)
2002: MSc thesis – Title: The effect of dietary energy and protein on feed intake and performance of laying hens (unpublished).



Current profession

Current professional activities type: 
Research
Research Supervision of postgraduates (Masters and PhDs) Community engagement (technology transfer)

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