Assessment of efficacy of phytobiotic mixture as an alternative of antibiotic growth promoters in broiler production

Introduction

One of the biggest challenges is ensuring protein supply in the face of growing population expansion. Broiler meat is the most affordable animal protein source and is essential for fulfilling protein needs. Consequently, during the past three decades, commercial broiler farming has become more industrialized (Yatao et al., 2018) [33] . Numerous issues, including decreased immunity, slower development, faster disease spread and a greater death rate, are brought on by the growing industrialization of broiler farming (Salim et al., 2018) [26] . In order to address these issues and increase the productivity of meat production, India has employed antibiotic growth promoters, or AGPs. Increasing antimicrobial resistance in certain bacterial strains, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus and Enterococcus, can be passed from poultry to humans through the food chain and ultimately cause life-threatening harm to human health, regardless of their efficient and cost-effective role as production enhancers (Ripon et al., 2019) [24] . Because of the adverse effects on human and animal health, the use of physiologically active substances in lieu of antibiotics has been a hot subject for a while. In order to maintain health and welfare and lessen the negative effects of environmental stress on the immune systems and productivity outcomes of farm animals in intensive production, modern animal feed manufacturing aims to employ bioactive substances rather than antibiotics and other medications. Phytobiotics have been found to have better potential than many other regularly used additives to improve animal performance, feed quality and animal product quality (Krauze et al., 2021; Selim et al., 2021) [16,27] . Secondary metabolites of plants that have demonstrated antimicrobial effects are known as phytobiotics (phytogenic additives) (Lawrence and Reynolds, 1984, Windisch et al., 2008) [17,31] . Maintaining and keeping eubiosis between microbes in the digestive system is the foundation for the beneficial effects of phytobiotics (Bakkali et al., 2008 and Stojkovic et al., 2013) [3,29] . Maintaining eubiosis requires good diet and hygienic conditions. According to Platel and Srinivasan (2004) [21] , Giannenas et al. (2005) [6] , Kirkpinar et al. (2010) [15] and Gregacevic et al. (2014) [7] adding phytobiotics to poultry feed reduces immune stress in poultry (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, antimicrobial, antiviral and anticoccidial effects) and increases intestinal availability for absorption of essential nutrients (enhancing food intake and flavor, stimulating digestive enzyme secretion, and increasing motility of the stomach and intestine). According to Hashemi and Davoodi (2010) [8] , phytobiotics may be regarded as natural growth stimulants because of their ability to improve production performance and influence on productivity. In the small intestine, turmeric can suppress harmful microbial flora that compete with the host for nutrients and increase digestive enzymes (Dieumou et al., 2009) [4] . Phytobiotics are natural, have been shown to be less harmful, and leave no residues when compared to inorganic chemicals and antibiotics that are synthesized. Thus, they might effectively substitute antibiotics as food growth boosters and turn into perfect feed additives (Hashemi et al., 2008; Gregacevic et al., 2014) [9,7] . Therefore, the current experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of a phytobiotic combination on the growth performance and economics of broiler chickens, taking into account the drawbacks of antibiotic growth boosters in broilers and the advantages of phytobiotics.

Materials and Methods

In the Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh, India, this experiment was conducted on one day old market broilers as part of an on-farm trial. For the study, five farmers were chosen. 500 chicks were divided into two groups, treatment and control, fed as per specification of Bereau of Indian Standards. Chicks in the treatment group received 2% herbal powder, whereas chicks in the control group received no supplements. Birds were reared in deep litter system and given feed and water ad libitum. Strict biosecurity measures were followed during the trial period. The shed area beneath the building was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected using appropriate disinfectants before the chicks were brought to poultry farm. This was followed by fumigation with formalin and potassium permanganate (KMnO4). All equipment was also thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized before use. The feeders and waterers were sanitized with 0.02% KMnO4 solution every day. Lime powder was available 24/7 before the entrance to the poultry house. Determining the impact of phytogenic additives in broiler feed on the production performance of broilers was the aim of this study. The data were analysed by Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 16.

Results and Discussion

Average initial body weight (gm) of the broilers in the control (40.00±0.53) and treatment group (42.00±0.72) was similar whereas at the end of trial body weight of treatment group (2200±20.20 gm) was significantly higher (p<0.05) than the control group (2320±19.36 gm). Average daily gain of control group (52.38±0.48 gm) was significantly lower (p<0.05) than the treatment group (55.24±0.46). Mortality rate of treatment group (3.00±0.31) was lower than the control group (3.20±0.20). FCR was used as feed efficiency measures which was significantly (p<0.05) lower in phytobiotis supplemented groups in comparison to control group Javed et al. (2009) [12] found that the group treated with ashwagandha and other herbs saw substantially greater weight increase, dressing percentage, breast weight and leg weight. Similarly, Srivastva et al. (2013) [28] found that ashwagandha supplementation improved the dressing percentage. The increased digestive activities, nutrient absorption and assimilation, free radical scavenging activity and antipathogenic activity of herbal ingredients may be the biological cause of the increased live weights in broilers of herbal fed groups (Prajapat et [22,20,2] . Aloe vera supplementation reduced broiler mortality rates as compared to the control group, according to Eevuri and Putturu (2013) [5] . Antibacterial, antioxidant, immune-modulatory, antiviral and anti-inflammatory qualities of phytobiotics may be the cause of lower death rates, which have been linked to improved immunity in supplemented groups. According to Mphamed et al. (2012) [18] , nutritional supplements containing 0.1% and 0.2% turmeric considerably boosted the weight gain of broiler chickens. The findings concur with other researchers who found that adding ginger powder to broiler diets significantly increased feed intake (Herawati and Marjuki, 2011 and Mohamed et al., 2012) [10,18] . Khan et al. (2018) [13] discovered that broiler growth performance was enhanced when a 2% polyherbal combination was added to their diet. The findings align with those of Sadeghi et al. (2011) [27] and Arshad et al. (2012) [1] , who reported that adding ginger to broiler diets significantly (p<0.05) increased body weight gain when compared to the control group. According to Jahejo et al. (2019) [11] , adding 5 g of basil to the diet per kilogram of feed resulted in considerably (p<0.05) higher BWG. In 2017, Urusan and Bolukbas found that broilers fed 2 g/kg of turmeric powder had a considerably (p<0.05) higher FCR. When compared to broilers in the control group, better economic performance was noted when phytobiotics and/or organic acids were supplemented (Rawat et al., 2016) [23] . In contrary Yarru et al. (2009) [32] found adding 0.5% turmeric powder to broiler feed reduced their weight gain. Similarly, many researchers have shown no discernible impact of supplementing broiler feed with garlic.

Conclusions

Based on current research, it was concluded that adding 2% phytobiotics to broiler diets enhanced bird performance and also had a positive impact on the economy. Therefore, due to the adverse effects of antibiotic growth promoters on consumer health, the use of phytobiotic mixtures is recommended as a safer alternative for promoting growth in broiler production.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementsThe authors are thankful to ICAR-ATARI, Zone III, Kanpur, and Uttar Pradesh for providing the fund and Directorate of Extension, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh for necessary facilities.

References

1. Arshad M, Kakar AH, Durrani FR, Akhtar A, Sanaullah S, Niamatullah M. Economical and immunological impact of ginger extract on broiler chicks. Pakistan Journal of Science. 2012;64(1):46-48.
2. Ayalew H, Zhang H, Wang J, Wu S, Qiu K, Qi G, et al. Potential feed additives as antibiotic alternatives in broiler production. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2022;9:916473.
3. Bakkali F, Averbeck S, Averbeck D, Idaomar M. Biological effects of essential oils-a review. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2008;46:446-475.
4. Dieumou FE, Teguia A, Kuiate JR, Tamokou NB, Dongmo MC. Effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and garlic (Allium sativum) essential oils on growth performance and gut microbial population of broiler chickens. Livestock Research for Rural Development. 2009;21(8):210-217.
5. Eevuri TR, Putturu R. Use of certain herbal preparations in broiler feeds-A review. Veterinary World. 2013;6(3):172-179.
6. Giannenas IA, Florou-Paneri P, Botsoglou NA, Christaki E, Spais AB. Effect of supplementing feed with oregano and (or) alpha-tocopheryl acetate on growth of broiler chickens and oxidative stability of meat. Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences. 2005;14:521-535.
7. Gregacevic L, Klaric I, Domacinovic M, Galovic D, Ronta M. Fitogeni aditivi u hranidbi domaćih životinja. Krmiva. 2014;56(3):117-123.
8. Hashemi SR, Davoodi H. Phytogenics as new additives in poultry industry. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances. 2010;9(17):2295-2304.
9. Hashemi SR, Zulkifli I, Hair-Bejo M, Farida A, Somchit MN. Acute toxicity study and phytochemical screening of selected herbal aqueous extract in broiler chickens. International Journal of Pharmacology. 2008;4:352-360.
10. Herawati, Marjuki. The effect of feeding red ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc) as phytobiotic on broiler slaughter weight and meat quality. International Journal of Poultry Science. 2011;10(12):983-986.
11. Jahejo AR, Rajput N, Tian W, Naeem M, Kalhoro DH, Kaka A, Niu S, Jia F. Immunomodulatory and growth promoting effects of basil (Ocimum basilicum) and ascorbic acid in heat stressed broiler chickens. Pakistan Journal of Zoology. 2019;51(3):801-807.
12. Javed M, Durrani FR, Hafeez A, Khan RU, Ahmad I. Effect of aqueous extract of plant mixture on carcass quality of broiler chicks. Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science. 2009;4:37-40.
13. Khan M, Singh VK, Gautam S, Tewari D, Devi R, Singh VB, et al. Influence of dietary incorporation of polyherbal mixture on feed intake, haematobiochemical parameters and carcass traits in broiler chicken. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences. 2018;7:4462-4470.
14. Khan M, Singh VK, Gautam S, Tewari D, Devi R, Singh VB, et al. Influence of dietary incorporation of polyherbal mixture on feed intake, haematobiochemical parameters and carcass traits in broiler chicken. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences. 2018;7:4462-4470.
15. Kirkpinar F, Ünlü HB, Özdemir G. Effects of oregano and garlic essential oils on performance, carcase, organ and blood characteristics and intestinal microflora of broilers. Livestock Science. 2010;137(1-3):219-225.
16. Krauze M, Cendrowska-Pinkosz M, Matusevičius P, Stępniowska A, Jurczak P, Ognik K. The effect of administration of a phytobiotic containing cinnamon oil and citric acid on the metabolism, immunity, and growth performance of broiler chickens. Animals. 2021;11(2):399.
17. Lawrence BM, Reynolds RJ. Progress in essential oils. Perfumer and Flavorist. 1984;9:23-31.
18. Mohamed AB, Alrubaee MAM, Jalil A. Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on performance and blood serum parameters of broiler. International Journal of Poultry Science. 2012;11(2):143-146.
19. Mohamed AA, Habib AB, Eltrefi AME, Shulukh ESA, Abubaker AA, Abdelwahid HH, et al. Effect of dietary supplementation of increasing levels of organic acid mixture on performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science. 2018;11(3):54-58.
20. Nagar A, Pandey R, Singh AK, Thakur R. Impact of dietary supplementation of Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root powder on performances in broilers. Journal of Animal Research. 2021;11(2):333-339.
21. Platel K, Srinivasan K. Digestive stimulant action of spices: A myth or reality? Indian Journal of Medical Research. 2004;119:167-179.
22. Prajapat UK, Jain D, Dhuria RK, Sharma T, Bothra T, Nehra R, Kumar M. Effect of dietary supplementation of tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf powder and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seed powder on growth performance in broilers. Veterinary Practitioner. 2018;19:1.
23. Rawat SK, Gupta R, Narain S. Effect of superliv on feed consumption, feed conversion efficiency and body weight gain in commercial broiler. Indian Journal of Extension Education. 2016;16(2):60-64.
24. Ripon MM, Rashid MH, Rahman MM, Ferdous MF, Arefin MS, Sani AA, et al. Dose-dependent response to phytobiotic supplementation in feed on growth, hematology, intestinal pH, and gut bacterial load in broiler chicken. Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research. 2019;6(2):253-259.
25. Sadeghi GH, Karimi A, Jahromi SP, Aziz T, Daneshmand A. Effect of cinnamon, thyme and International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research https://www.biochemjournal.com turmeric infusions on the performance and immune response in of 1 to 21 day-old male broilers. Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science. 2011;14(1):15-20.
26. Salim HM, Huque KS, Kamaruddin KM, Haque BA. Global restriction of using antibiotic growth promoters and alternative strategies in poultry production. Science Progress. 2018;101(1):52-75.
27. Selim S, Hussein E, Abdel-Megeid NS, Melebary SJ, Al-Harbi MS, Saleh AA. Growth performance, antioxidant activity, immune status, meat quality, liver fat content, and liver histomorphology of broiler chickens fed rice bran oil. Animals. 2021;11(11):3410.
28. Srivastava SB, Niwas R, Singh DP, Bisen B. Impact of herbal based diets on production efficiency of broiler. The Bioscan. 2013;8(1):119-122.
29. Stojkovic D, Glamoclija J, Ciric A, Nikolic M, Ristic M, Siljegovic J, et al. Investigation on antibacterial synergism of Origanum vulgare and Thymus vulgaris essential oils. Archives of Biological Sciences. 2013;65(2):639-643.
30. Urusan H, Bolukbas SC. Effect of dietary supplementation levels of turmeric powder (Curcuma longa) on performance, carcass characteristics and gut microflora in broiler chickens. Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences. 2017;27(3):732-736.
31. Windisch W, Schedle K, Plitzner C, Kroismayr A. Use of phytogenic products as feed additives for swine and poultry. Journal of Animal Science. 2008;86(suppl_14):E140-E148.
32. Yarru LP, Settivari RS, Gowda NKS, Antoniou E, Ledoux DR, Rottinghaus GE. Effects of turmeric (Curcuma longa) on the expression of hepatic genes associated with biotransformation, antioxidant, and immune systems in broiler chicks fed aflatoxin. Poultry Science. 2009;88(12):2620-2627.
33. Yatao X, Saeed M, Kamboh AA, Arain MA, Ahmad F, Suheryani I, et al. The potentially beneficial effects of supplementation with hesperidin in poultry diets. World's Poultry Science Journal. 2018;74(2):265-276.