Essential oils and Organic Acids: Feed Additive in Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The escalating concern over the antibiotic residues in animal and poultry products among the consumers made the hour a prime time to find an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) and it have increased a lot over the past decade. New alternatives of antibiotics are essential oils and organic acids. Essential oil usage in animal feeding has been practiced for their role as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antioxidant, digestive stimulant, immune-modulator, hypolipidemic agent and also heat stress alleviator. Organic acids have gained significant attention due to their high nutritional value and antimicrobial benefits. Organic acids and their salts are generally regarded as safe and have been approved by most member states of the EU to be used as feed additives. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to review the potential of using essential oils and organic acids as feed additives in broiler chickens.