The Prospective Use of Essential Oil from Herbs as Feed Additive for Laying Poultry: A Review

Abstract

Entering the era of AGP replacer has made researchers to find alternative products which are comparable to AGP. Some attempts have been made, but it seems the use of herb essential oil (EO) to be very prospective. Some commonly used herbs products evaluated are for example cinnamon, aniseed, olive and oregano. The products are often used in the form of essential oil mixture (EOM) rather than single product. This paper aimed to review the utilization of herb EO and ground herb containing EO toward poultry laying performance. The mechanism of action related to antimicrobial action assessed toward the possible improvement in laying performance. It is concluded that the use of herb EO and ground herb containing EO might replace the use of AGP, but it should be carefully done, because the success in improving laying performance is influenced by the type and dose of herb EO and ground herb containing EO used in the feed.