Phytobiotic effect of Marrubium vulgare and Leonurus sibiricus on productive performance of griller-type broilers

Abstract

The food industry is in a continuous search for strategies of reducing of antibiotic residues in livestock production, given the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In that context, there is a consistent increasing in the usage of alternative feed phytogenic additives. Due to the pharmacological, the plants Marrubium vulgare and Leonurus sibiricus, are both potential replacements for growth-promoting antibiotics. This study evaluated the productive performance and analyze the sensory qualities in the meat of broiler that were administered M. vulgare and L. sibiricus infusions. A total of 320 chicks from an poultry farm were distributed in 8 groups groups according treatments by 28 days: Control Group (Saline); Positive control (tylosin 1%, 50 ppm); Groups of M. vulgare (MV) infusion: 2% (MV2), 4% (MV4) and 6% (MV6); and groups treated with L. sibiricus (LS) infusion: 2% (LS2), 4% (LS4) and 6% (LS6), all of them received relative doses corresponding to the live weight percentage in milliliter. There was weght gain in MV6 and LS6 group and a better food conversion in MV4, MV6, LS4, and LS6. In addition, weight gain and enhancement of the pectoral muscles were observed in these groups. The sensory analysis revealed that the broilers’ meat of MV had a more intense flavor. For marketing purposes the meat from birds that received LS had a better demand. Improvement of productive performance and sensory qualities of the broilers meat might be associated with the phytobiotic activity in it. Therefore, MV and LS can be used as natural growth promoter in broilers.

Assessment of Marrubium vulgare hydro-alcoholic extract’s biological activities

“…M. vulgare extract also showed the inhibition of edema at 47.65% with the reference indomethacin producing 54.55% inhibition [26]. Based on these results, M.vulgare can be considered a prospect in the development of anti-inflammatory drugs [27].…”

The Impact of a Phytobiotic Mixture on Broiler Chicken Health and Meat Safety

“…Moreover, the application of this additive did not have a significant statistical effect on the change of meat colour ( L * a * b *) in the study groups. A study performed Schlemper et al [ 61 ] and Joseph et al [ 62 ] showed no effect of the addition of the phytobiotic on meat colour. On the other hand, Ashour et al [ 63 ] described that values of L* and a * grads of samples from broiler chicken were lower in a control group than in groups fed with a herbal mixture powder consisted of Capsicum annuum , Thymus vulgaris , Salvia Rosmarinus , Pimpinella anisum , Mentha spicata , Nigella sativa , Allium sativum .…”