Phytogenic Feed Additives as An Alternative to Antibiotic Growth Promoters in Poultry Nutrition

Phytoadditives in animal nutrition have attracted a lot of attention for their potential role as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters. Phytoadditives are feed additives originated from plants or botanicals that are used in poultry nutrition. This chapter provides an overview about the potency of alternative additive from plants as a basis for exploring it as a phytoadditive for poultry. These substances are derived from herbs, spices, and other plants and their extracts. They are natural, less toxic, residue free and ideal feed additives for poultry when compared to synthetic antibiotics. There efficacy of phytogenic applications in poultry nutrition depends on several factors, such as composition and feed inclusion level of phytogenic preparations, bird genetics, and overall diet composition. Addition of 100 mg/kg feed essential oils consist of carvacrol, thymol and limonene in matrix encapsulation improved performance and apparent ideal digestibility of nutrients of broiler chickens. Besides enhancing performance, phytogenic also has antioxidant, the effects of which are associated with essential oils (EOs) and their components. Administration of eucalyptus and peppermint oil blends by oral (0.25 ml/L drinking water) and spray route (0.1 ml/20 ml water) reduced Newcastle disease infection in broilers. Phytoadditives have antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antitoxigenic, antiparasitic and insecticidal properties. The benefits of using phytoadditives in poultry nutrition are increased feed intake, stimulation of digestion, increased growth performance, reduced incidence of disease, improved reproductive parameters, feed efficiency, profitability. Based on the latest scientific findings presented in this chapter, the following main conclusions have been drawn that phytomolecule and that bioactives have potential to be developed as an alternative additive for poultry, and that promote health.