Abstract
Simple SummaryDue to restrictions on antibiotics in chicken production in recent years, the poultry industry has looked towards alternatives such as plant-derived feed additives. Plant bioactive compounds, such as phytochemicals, in poultry diets, are gaining popularity due to their potential antioxidant and anti-microbial activities. Some plant derivatives improve the immune system, reduce the stress response, and exert positive effects on health and performance. The dietary supplementation of cinnamon in poultry feed as a natural feed additive has beneficial impacts on nutrient digestibility, hypocholesterolaemic, blood biochemical profile, gene expression, immunity, and particularly on gut health to alleviate the impact of disease and heat stress by maintaining water and electrolytic balance and feed intake. It is clearly demonstrated that cinnamon can be used as an alternative to antibiotics in the poultry industry offering greater animal health, food safety, and economic aspects of poultry production.The increased bacterial resistance to synthetic antibiotics and consumer awareness about the health and food safety concerns have triggered the ban on the use of antibiotic growth promotors (AGPs) in the poultry industry. This situation encouraged the poultry sector and industry to explore safe alternatives to AGPs and focus on developing more sustainable feed management strategies to improve the intestinal health and growth performance of poultry. Consequently, phytogenic feed additives (PFAs) have emerged as natural alternatives to AGPs and have great potential in the poultry industry. In recent years, cinnamon (one of the most widely used spices) has attracted attention from researchers as a natural product with numerous health benefits for poultry. The essential oils in cinnamon, in particular, are of interest because of their antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and hypocholesterolaemic effects, in addition to their ability to stimulate digestive enzymes in the gut. This review mainly emphasizes the potential impact of cinnamon as a natural feed additive on overall gut health, nutrient digestibility, blood biochemical profile, gene expression, gut microbiota and immune response.
Highlights
The demand for poultry meat and meat products has increased in recent years.The global production of chicken meat reached about 137 million tons in 2020, making poultry the most consumed meat in the world
Cinnamon belongs to the genus Cinnamomum (Lauraceae family) which contains more than 250–300 aromatic evergreen shrubs and plant trees [6,7,8]
In studies conducted with broiler chickens, anti-microbial activities against many microorganisms and strong antioxidant activities have been observed in poultry diets supplemented with cinnamon and their essential oils (EOs)
Summary
The demand for poultry meat and meat products has increased in recent years. The global production of chicken meat reached about 137 million tons in 2020, making poultry the most consumed meat in the world. Several stressors may negatively impact the balance in the gut ecosystem and, health status and productivity of poultry. Growing consumer awareness about the adverse effects of antibiotics on human health coupled with increased bacterial resistance and concerns about food safety have led to the imposition of restrictions on the use of antibiotics in poultry production. This situation has resulted in researchers and industry exploring alternatives to AGPs with their attention focused on developing more sustainable dietary interventions to improve the gut microbiome and overall health of poultry.
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