Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Selected Phytogenics for Sustainable Poultry Production

Abstract

The use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in poultry production not only promotes the emergence of pathogenic multi-drug resistant bacteria, but it also compromises product quality, threatens animal and human health, and pollutes the environment. However, the complete withdrawal of AGP without alternatives could result in uncontrollable disease outbreaks that would jeopardize large-scale poultry intensification. Thus, the use of phytogenic products as potential alternatives to in-feed AGP has attracted worldwide research interest. These phytogenic products contain numerous biologically active substances with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities that can enhance poultry health, growth performance, and meat quality characteristics. In addition, the incorporation of phytogenic products as feed additives in poultry diets could result in the production of high-quality, drug-free, and organic poultry products that are safe for human consumption. Thus, this review examines the current evidence on the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of a selection of phytogenic products, their effects on nutrient utilization, and physiological and meat quality parameters in poultry. The paper also reviews the factors that could limit the utilization of phytogenic products in poultry nutrition and proposes solutions that can deliver efficient and sustainable poultry production systems for global food and nutrition security.

The Effect of Supplementation with Organic Acid and Oregano Oils in Drinking Water on Pekin Duck Growth and Welfare

“…The total plasma corticosterone concentration and H/L ratios on D 35 are shown in Table 6. The total plasma corticosterone concentrations were lower (p < 0.01) in OA (22,423 ± 3971.49 pg/mL) and OO (21,269 ± 3454.76 pg/mL) compared to CON (57,787 ± 12,887.57 pg/mL). The H/L ratio was also smaller (p < 0.03) in OA (0.34 ± 0.03) and OO (0.33 ± 0.04) compared to CON (0.47 ± 0.05).…”

“…(|L-R|MTL + |LR|ML + |L-R|MW) = composite asymmetry score Asymmetry has been used as a tool for welfare indicators for environmental and developmental stress [22,[25][26][27][28][29].…”

“…Within poultry research, the effects of EO and OA use have shown vast improvements within nutrient absorption and feed efficiency to enable ameliorated growth production [21], provide antioxidant mechanisms for lowered inflammation and improve meat quality [22], reduce microbial loads in the GI tract to promote pathogen defence, as well as enhance immune response [22]. Though the use of OA and OO has shown great potential, research lacks the understanding of its implementation in duck production.…”

The effects of essential oil from Lippia origanoides and herbal betaine on performance, intestinal integrity, bone mineralization and meat quality in broiler chickens subjected to cyclic heat stress

“…Essential oils (EO) may reduce chicken heat stress ( Pandey et al, 2019 ; Yilmaz and Gul, 2023a ) due to their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects ( Basiouni et al, 2023 ; Mnisi et al, 2023 ; Rafeeq et al, 2023 ). Some of the most used essential oils in poultry include oregano, thyme, rosemary, eucalyptus, cumin, mint, lemon, and cinnamon ( Yilmaz and Gul, 2023b ; AL-Ramamneh, 2023 ; Shanthi and Diwan, 2023 ).…”

Editorial for the Special Issue, “Research on the Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Anti-Drug Properties of Plant Ingredients”

“…Chapter 1 comprises the review entitled "Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Selected Phytogenics for Sustainable Poultry Production" [1]. It regards phytogenic products as alternatives to in-feed antibiotic growth boosters in poultry production.…”