Feed Additives

Feed Additives

Aromatic Plants and Herbs in Animal Nutrition and Health
2020, Pages 159-185
Feed Additives

Chapter 10 - Application of aromatic plants and their extracts in diets of broiler chickens

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814700-9.00010-8Get rights and content

Abstract

This chapter reviews the recent experimental experiences on efficacy, potential mechanisms of action, different aspects of application of aromatic, medicinal plants and their extracts or essential oils (EOs) in diets of broiler chickens as phytogenic feed additives. Phytogenic feed additives comprise wide varieties of herbs, spices, and botanical products such as aromatic, medicinal plants, their extracts and mainly their EOs. Those plant-based feed additives may improve the palatability of feed which may lead to advanced performance; have verified potent antioxidative and antimicrobial efficacy in broilers. A number of in vivo studies show that phytogenic feed additives may specifically enhance activities of digestive enzymes and nutrient absorption. Numerous experimental studies provide further comparisons of phytogenic feed additives with antibiotics and their analogous actions in the intestine, such as reduction of bacterial colony counts, fewer fermentation products (including proteins, amides, ammonia, biogenic amines), and lower immune responses of the intestinal tissue, thus reflecting an overall improved intestinal equilibrium. In addition, specific compounds of aromatic medicinal plants and their extracts have the potential to support intestinal mucus production and intestinal cell functionality. An improvement on intestinal health was observed as indicated by reduced incidences of wet litter and soft droppings in birds after dietary supplementation with plant-based feed additives. Moreover, phytogenic feed additives can potentially compensate for a reduced energy level in the diet, while maintaining production performance and feed utilization efficiency. Dietary supplementation of aromatic medicinal plants, herbs, spices, their extracts, or EOs as phytogenic products rich in antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds can improve feed utilization efficiency, performance, and economic benefits in broiler chicken production.

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Cited by (22)

  • Productive parameters, cecal microflora, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant status, and thigh muscle fatty acid profile in broiler chickens fed with Eucalyptus globulus essential oil

    2021, Poultry Science
    Citation Excerpt :

    The mode of actions of phytogenic products to exert their antibacterial activity varies among such sources of products. Nonetheless, the general proposed mechanism of action is through affecting bacterial cell permeability (Windisch et al., 2008), dissipating the pH gradient in the bacterial cell (Jin et al., 2020), providing the substrate for growth and proliferation of lactic acid-producing bacteria in intestinal such as Lactobacillus which utilizes phenolic compounds of essential oils as carbon sources (Pacheco-Ordaz et al., 2018). In addition, phytogenic products were reported to stimulate intestinal production of mucus in broiler chickens, an effect that was assumed to impair adhesion of pathogenic bacteria such as coliforms and E. coli and thus to contribute to stabilizing the microbial eubiosis in the gut of the animals (Windisch et al., 2008).

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