Influence of dietary inclusion of peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils on haematological parameters of Japanese quails

Abstract

Since several decades antibiotics are used as a feed supplement in the ration of farm animals because of their metaphylactic, prophylactic and growth promotion action which eventually has resulted in anti-microbial resistance (AMR) in livestock and humans. With an intention of resolving this issue, some potential replacements have been studied. Essential oils belong to those categories of supplements which have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Keeping these facts in view, this study was undertaken to investigate the influence of dietary inclusion of peppermint (PEO) and eucalyptus essential oils (EEO) on haematological parameters of the Japanese quails. For this, 180 Japanese quail chicks of 6-days old were randomly grouped into 5 treatments (3 replicates having 12 chicks each). The experimental treatments were T0 (control), T1 (0.2% PEO), T2 (0.2% EEO), T3 (0.1% each of PEO+EEO) and T4 (0.05% each of PEO+EEO). By the end of the 5th week, blood samples of 2 birds from each replicate were collected and their haematological parameters were determined. The study revealed that the values of TEC, TLC, PCV, haemoglobin, MCHC, basophil + eosinophil and lymphocytes were significantly (p