Use of allicin as an alternative hatching egg disinfectant versus formaldehyde fumigation in broiler hatching eggs

Abstract

Allicin, diallyl thiosulfinate, has a strong antibacterial activity against a wide range of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The purpose of this study was to determine the possible use of allicin as a formaldehyde alternative on broiler breeder hatching eggs. The lowest microbial counts on the eggs were obtained from formaldehyde followed by allicin. Microbial counts slightly decreased with the increasing allicin concentrations. Compared to the positive control formaldehyde, allicin treatment lowered the early and late embryonic mortality, and feed conversion ratio, but increased the discarded chick rate, pipping rate and hatchability of the fertile eggs. Allicin concentrations had no significant effect either on hatching or chick growth and development after hatching. These results imply that allicin had a potential as a hatching egg disinfectant since allicin had no detrimental effect on the developing embryo.