The effect of volatile oil mixtures on the performance and ilio-caecal microflora of broiler chickens

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the individual and combined effects of rosemary, oregano and fennel volatile oil (FVO) supplementation on the performance and ilio-caecal bacteriological flora of broiler chickens. A total of 800 male Ross-308 broiler chickens were divided equally into 8 groups; each contained 100 chickens. The study included a control treatment (NC) with no dietary additives that was supplemented with oils according to the following 7 treatments: 200 mg α-tocopherol acetate/kg (PC), 100 mg oregano volatile oil (OVO)/kg, 100 mg rosemary volatile oil (RVO)/kg, 100 mg FVO/kg and an equal mixture of oregano+rosemary+fennel VO (100, 200, 400 mg/kg, VOM-1, VOM-2 and VOM-3, respectively). The experiment lasted for 6 weeks. At the end of the experiment, dietary supplementation with α-tocopherol, oregano, rosemary and FVO and two different volatile oil mixtures (VOMs) (VOM-2; VOM-3) significantly increased the body weights (BWs) of broilers at 7, 14 and 21 d of age compared to the negative control (NC) (-) and VOM-1 groups. At 0-42 d, birds fed on VOM-3 were considerably heavier and also gained more weight than NC (-) and VOM-1 groups. The blend of VOs at 400 mg/kg significantly increased Lactobacillus spp. in faeces. The blends of oregano, rosemary and FVOs (VOM-3) at 400 mg/kg concentration and also VOM-3 group exhibited stronger antibacterial activity against coliform bacteria compared to the NC (-) group. In conclusion, the blend of oregano, rosemary and fennel VOs at higher concentrations (400 mg/kg concentration) in diets can be used to stimulate the growth and can improve the intestinal microbial balance (including a reduction of coliform bacteria and an increase in Lactobacillus spp. counts) of broiler chickens.

Essential oils as alternatives to antibiotics in swine production

“…Several in vivo studies indicated that essential oils increased the Lactobacillus group and decreased E. coli or total coliforms in piglets ( Namkung et al., 2004 , Castillo et al., 2006 , Li et al., 2012 , Zeng et al., 2015 , Wei et al., 2017 ). These results were consistent with the results observed in several poultry studies with the supplementation of essential oils ( Oviedo-Rondón et al., 2006 , Tiihonen et al., 2010 , Amerah et al., 2011 , Basmacioglu-Malayoglu et al., 2016 , Cetin et al., 2016 , Liu et al., 2017 ), suggesting that essential oil treatment led to some fundamental changes within gut microbiota mainly in the number of observed Lactobacillus species. However, studying the effects of essential oils on the gut microbiome of pigs with integrated approaches (e.g., various molecular and “omics” technologies as well as bioinformatics and statistical analyses) is still needed in order to comprehensively monitor the shifts in composition and functionality of the microbiota in response to dietary essential oils treatments.…”

Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Immunomodulatory Properties of Essential Oils: A Systematic Review

“…One interesting point is the effect of EOs in gastrointestinal microbiota composition, where supplementation with them has been shown to exert a positive effect—decreasing the pathogenic microorganism while increasing the number of probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus spp. [96,97,98]. Correspondingly, in weaned piglets, EOs or their main active compounds positively modulated gastrointestinal microbiota [23,99,100].…”

Plant Feed Additives as Natural Alternatives to the Use of Synthetic Antioxidant Vitamins on Poultry Performances, Health, and Oxidative Status: A Review of the Literature in the Last 20 Years

“…Supplementation with different levels of RO (0.015% or 0.030% of the diet) or a combination of RO with OO (both at 0.0075% and 0.0150% of the diet, respectively) during a 42 day trial did not affect broilers’ FI compared with VitE (200 mg/kg) [ 24 ]. In addition, no significant variations in FI were reported when broilers were supplemented for 42 days with OO, RO, or fennel volatile oil (FVO) (each at 0.01% of the diet) or with a mixture of them (VOM, 0.01 to 0.4%) [ 25 ]. Moreover, olive leaf extract (OLE) dietary supplementation (0.2% and 0.4% of the diet) did not affect FI in broilers reared under heat stress (HS) during a 14 day period compared with control and VitE treatments [ 26 ].…”