Effect of a commercial additive based on bioactive compounds (carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, capsicum and cúrcuma) on productive performance and intestinal health in broiler chickens

Abstract

This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the effect of a commercial additive based on bioactive compounds on the productive parameters and intestinal health in broiler chickens. A total of 100 one-day-old Cobb birds were used, and at 7 days were weighed and randomly selected into 2 treatment groups with 10 replicates/5 birds per replicate. During the experimental period (48 days), the broiler chickens received the starter and finisher diet. Treatment (T) T1: basal diet (BD - Control); T2: BD + commercial additive (100g/T). The histomorphometric parameters of the intestine, along with volatile fatty acids concentration and counts of lactic and enteric bacteria, were determined. At week 21, the addition of commercial additive resulted in significant differences in weekly live weight gain compared to T1 (p <0.05). The addition of commercial additive showed a positive trend in productive parameters and obtained a higher productivity index. The levels of volatile fatty acids and the count of lactic bacteria were found to be higher in T2 as compared to the control (p < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation with the commercial additive showed an increasing trend in productive parameters, positively modulated intestinal health in broiler chickens, at least at the dose and with the number of animals used, constituting a possible alternative to replacing antibiotics as promoters of growth. Based on these results, it is proposed to carry out an in vivo trial with a higher number of animals and compare the efficiency with the inclusion of antibiotics as growth promoters.