Essential Oils : More than a good replacement for AGP,s
Since the ban on AGP,s in some countries ,essential oils have received a special attention as a replacement for antibiotic growth promoters. Essential oils are aromatic compounds extracted from herbs and spices which are used in food preservation, flavouring and medicine.
Essential Oils exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The major component of many essential oil blends in poultry nutrition, are phenolic compounds such as thymol, carvacrol and eugenol.
Essential Oils minimise the occurrence of intestinal diseases due to their antimicrobial properties against pathogens. Essential oils possess antibacterial activity against clostridium perfingens, E. Coli and some species of Salmonella, which are major challenge in commercial poultry production. Thymol and eugenol alter the membrane permeability of microorganisms, causing leakage of intracellular materials. This perturbation in the lipid fraction of the plasma membrane is suggested to generate antimicrobial action.
Beside antimicrobial activity, essential oils also favour the growth of benfecial gut microflora. These findings indicate that one of the advantages that essential oils may have over AGPs is that they have a better selectivity profile in that they spare the beneficial intestinal bacteria.
In addition, thymol, eugenol and carvacrol are structurally similar and are reported to exert synergistic or additive antimicrobial effects when supplemented together, even at lower concentrations.
Various trials suggest that essential oils may inhibit the growth of parasites like some species of Eimeria and they are also effective in controlling growth of moulds and yeasts.
Essential Oils also show improvement in concentration of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in gut e.g. butyrates. SCFA are food for enterocytes. Various blends available in market claim improvement in villi length which is backed by their trial reports.
Because of their flavouring property essential oils stimulate appetite and boost feed intake. Increase in feed intake is relevant for young birds specially young broilers. Essential oils may improve growth and performance as they stimulate the secretion of endogenous digestive enzymes leading to improved nutrient digestion. Various trials demonstrate a substantial reduction in FCR.
Because of their volatile nature essential oils easily evaporate so encapsulated forms of essential oils are better option. Encapsulated forms ensure targeted release of essential oils. Some brands available in the market also offer matrix value for cost optimization. Essential oils have potential to replace the AGP,s.
