Effects of Phytogenic additives on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of campylobacter jejuni-challenged broiler chickens

The experiment aimed to assess the effects of cinnamon, rosemary, and oregano powder on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens challenged with Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) from 0 to 42 days of age. A total of 192 one-day-old male broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 6 treatments, with each treatment comprising 4 pens, and 8 birds per pen. The experimental treatments were as follows: negative control (NC; basal diet without additive and without C. jejuni challenge), positive control (PC; basal diet without additives but challenged with C. jejuni), PC + cinnamon powder (3g/kg), PC + rosemary powder (3g/kg), PC + oregano powder (3g/kg), and PC + erythromycin (55mg/kg). Chicks, except for the NC group, received daily oral challenges of 2×108 cfu/mL C. jejuni from days 21 to 25 of age. The results revealed that the presence of C. jejuni compromised growth performance during the grower period. This pathogen also reduces organic matter digestibility. However, dietary treatments enriched with feed additives ameliorated all these adverse repercussions stemming from C. jejuni challenge. Notably, the cinnamon treatment exhibited relatively diminished potential compared to other additives in mitigating these effects. The findings from this study lead to the conclusion that both oregano and rosemary can reduce the pathogenic impact of C. jejuni. These additives offer a viable alternative to erythromycin in broiler feeding strategies, contributing to food safety and preventing economic loss for the poultry industry.

Effects of Phytogenic additives on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of campylobacter jejuni-challenged broiler chickens Keywords:

broiler chickens , performance , digestibility , intestinal morphology , Campylobacter jejuni , phytogenic additives