Context Dietary supplementation with phytobiotics may form part of an alternative strategy to the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in the poultry industry. Essential oils of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) may have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Aims The aims were to evaluate in vitro characteristics of non-encapsulated and encapsulated rosemary essential oils, and to investigate their effects on growth performance, intestinal morphology and microbial population in broiler chickens. Methods Essential oil main components were determined, and the minimum inhibitory concentration and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical assay methods were applied for determination of antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, respectively. In an in vivo study of performance, 1-day-old male chicks (n = 420) were randomly assigned to seven dietary treatments with five replicates of 12 birds in a completely randomised experimental design. Treatments were control (basal) diet, and basal diet supplemented with chitosan (encapsulating agent) at 150 mg/kg, encapsulated and non-encapsulated rosemary essential oils at both 150 and 300 mg/kg, and the antibiotic flavophospholipol at 650 mg/kg. Key results Non-encapsulated essential oil had stronger antioxidant activity than the encapsulated form (IC50 values 0.969 and 1.879 mg/mL, respectively). Non-encapsulated essential oil had greater antimicrobial effect against Escherichia coli, whereas the encapsulated form was more effective against Staphylococcus aureus. During the whole growing period of the in vivo study, supplementation with different levels of non-encapsulated or encapsulated essential oils significantly (P < 0.01) improved bodyweight gain and feed conversation ratio compared with control and antibiotic diets. Furthermore, feed intake in birds receiving essential oils (150 or 300 mg/kg) was lower (P < 0.01) than in other groups. Villus height was increased (P < 0.01) in birds supplemented with essential oils compared with all other treatments. Ileal coliform count was lower in birds supplemented with non-encapsulated essential oil at 150 mg/kg than in birds fed the control diet. Conclusion Use of non-encapsulated rosemary essential oils at 150 mg/kg is recommended. Encapsulation did not provide additional benefits for most parameters. Implications Rosemary essential oils offer a potential replacement to conventional antibiotics in poultry nutrition, reducing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and presence of antibiotic residues in animal tissues.
This survey aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of different forms of savory essential oil (SEO) on growth performance, intestinal morphology and microbial population in broiler chickens. A total of 360 one-day-old male broilers were randomly allocated to 6 dietary treatment groups with 5 replicates per treatment and 12 birds per pen. The experiment consisted of a 2×3 factorial arrangement including two different forms [encapsulated SEO (ESEO) and nonencapsulated SEO (NSEO)] in three levels (0, 150, and 300 mg/kg diet) of SEO. Growth performance, jejunal morphology and intestine microbial population were examined. Our results revealed that feed intake was not influenced by the dietary treatments in different experimental periods. As well as, the experimental diets did not influence body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the starter period. However, at the grower, finisher, and also whole rearing periods, broilers which received 150 mg/kg SEO had significantly higher BWG and lower FCR compared to the birds fed the control diet. The final body weight (FBW) was also higher in chickens fed with diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg SEO in comparison to the others. The results also revealed that 150 mg/ kg SEO, significantly increased the concentration of Lactobacillus and decreased the intensity of coliforms in the ileal digesta in comparison to the control diet. Furthermore, villus height was significantly lower in birds fed the control diet than in the birds that consumed different levels of SEO. Eventually, the findings of this experiment revealed that dietary supplementation of SEO, especially at 150 mg/kg level, was effective in raising the populations of beneficial microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract as well as improving intestinal morphology and growth performance of broilers.
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