Effect of Plant Extracts and Essential Oil Blend as Alternatives to Antibiotic Growth Promoters on Growth Performance, Nutrient Utilization and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chicken

Two hundred, one day old broiler chicks were randomly distributed into five groups with five replicates containing eight birds in each replicate. Dietary groups consisted of (1) basal diet as per BIS standard (2007) without any supplementation (control); (2) basal diet with BMD (Bacitracin methylene disalicylate) @ 0.5 g/kg of feed (AB); (3) basal diet supplemented with methanolic extracts (PE) of Mikania micrantha and Garcinia lanceaefolia @ 2.79 and 1.39 g/kg of feed, respectively; (4) basal diet with essential oil (Cinnamon and ajwain @ 3 and 4 g/kg of feed respectively (EO) and (5) basal diet with plant extracts (PEO) and essential oil combination at same dose rate Broilers in groups AB, PE, EO and PEO had increased (P<0.01) ADG, body weight, FCR and European Production Efficiency Index (EPEI) during the overall the period (d 1–42). The group PE showed lower feed intake (P<0.01) compared to other groups. Digestibility of nutrients except that of NFE was similar in all the groups. Carcass traits were also similar in all the groups. The overall acceptability of meat was higher (P<0.01) in PE, EO nad PEO groups compared with control and AB groups. It could be concluded that supplementation of methanolic extracts of Mikania micrantha and Garcinia lanceaefolia and essential oil blend (Cinnamon and Ajwain oil) might be used as natural alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters to improve the performance of broiler chicken.