Can medicinal plants with antimicrobial properties be replacement for antibiotics in broiler production?

Abstract

Antibiotics have been used for 50 years to enhance growth performance and to prevent disease in poultry production. Recently, most of the antibacterial growth promoters have been banned because the feeding of antibiotics is risky due not only cross-resistance but also to multiple resistances. Plants (especially herbs) have been used as food and medicinal purposes and some of them have played a significant role in maintaining human health and improving the quality of human life for thousands of years. Herbs or products containing plant extracts, essential oils or main components of the essential oil are among the alternative growth promoters that are already being used in practice. (Acamovic and Brooker, 2005; Ocak et al., 2008). There is evidence suggesting that herbs, spices, and various plant extracts have appetizing, digestion-stimulating and antimicrobial properties. But, there is only limited evidence about whether the inclusion as a solid herb material would have the growth promoting effects in live birds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effects of dietary dry peppermint (Mentha piperita L.), Cumin (Cuminum L.), Milfoil (Achellia millefolium L.) and poley (Teucrium Polium L.) on the performance of broiler.