-This study investigated the effects of Cymbopogon flexuosus and Lippia rotundifolia microencapsulated essential oils on broiler performance and carcass yield. One hundred and fifty mixed-sex Cobb broiler chicks were used, from one day up to 42 days of age, in a completely randomized design, with five treatments and three replicates of ten birds each. The treatments were: negative control (basal diet), positive control (diet with enramycin and salinomycin), and three diets with microencapsulated essential oils from lemongrass, L. rotundifolia, and combination with 50% of both. The performance and carcass yield were not affected by the treatments. The intestine absolute weight was lower in the combination treatment compared with the negative control treatment and the lemongrass essential oil. The intestine relative weight was higher in the treatments with lemongrass and L. rotundifolia essential oils in relation to the combination. The liver relative weight was lower with the lemongrass essential oil and the combination compared with the treatment with the L. rotundifolia essential oil. The trial could not find results enough to recommend the use of the lemongrass and L. rotundifolia essential oils as an additive in broiler diets.

SUMMARY The antibacterial effect of microencapsulated lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) essential oil on strains of Escherichia coli (ATCC8739), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (ATCC 6017), and the stability of this oil in feeds for broiler chickens were evaluated. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were determined by the macrodilution method, using the microencapsulated lemon grass essential oil at concentrations of 160 μL mL−1, 80 μL mL−1, 40 μL mL−1, 20 μL mL−1, and 10 μL mL−1. The oil concentration of 80 μL mL−1 presented the best results against the three bacteria evaluated. Samples of 200 g of feed mixed with 120 μL g−1 of the microencapsulated lemon grass essential oil was stored to evaluate the oil stability. Feed without microencapsulated lemon grass essential oil was prepared as control. The oil remained active for seven days, with significant reduction of S. aureus (3.08 CFU), E. coli (3.01 CFU), and S. enterica (3.10 CFU). The microencapsulated lemon grass essential oil at concentration of 80 μL mL−1 had antibacterial effect against the E. coli, S. enterica and S. aureus, and maintained stability of the feed for seven days, even with presence of organic matter, which is source of nutrients for pathogens.

This study aimed to evaluate the hematological profile, hepatic function, and histopathology of mixed-sex broilers fed rations supplemented with microencapsulated essential oils from Cymbopogon flexuosus (lemon grass) and Lippia rotundifolia (chá-de-pedestre). One hundred and fifty Cobb chicks were housed in cages from 1 to 42 days of age in a completely randomized design, with six replicates with five chickens in each of five treatments (150 total chicks): basal diet without antibiotic growth promoter (negative control), diet with enramicina and salinomycin (positive control), diet with lemon grass essential oil, diet with L. rotundifolia essential oil, and diet with a mixture of lemon grass and L. rotundifolia essential oils. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were significantly lower in untreated broilers (negative control group). Gender was not associated with erythrogram values, but aspartate aminotransferase activity (AST) was higher in females. Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) was higher in chicks in the group that received rations with lemon grass oil. Broilers that received L. rotundifolia oil developed more hepatic lesions, although no effect of sex was observed related to the lesion score. Biliary hyperplasia and fibroplasias were observed in all groups, with higher histopathology scores in broilers that received diets containing L. rotundifolia oil. Mixed-sex broilers fed rations supplemented with lemon grass and L. rotundifolia essential oils have normal complete blood counts and unspecific hepatic lesions and are characterized by lipidosis, hyperplasia of the bile ducts, and fibroplasia.