Poultry Studies 2009, Vol 8, Num, 1     (Pages: 034-041)

Herbal Extracts and Their Usage in Laying Hen Diets

Züleyha KAHRAMAN 1

1 Tavukçuluk Araştırma Enstitüsü Müdürlüğü – Ankara - Public concern on the development of antibiotic resistance issue over the using of dietary antibiotics in animal feeds has let to the demand for the alternatives to antibiotics. One of the alternatives to feed antibiotics is herbal extracts or their essential oils (EOs). EOs are volatile components of plants that have been used in food preparation and supplementary treatments of human disease since antiquity. Some Eos such as Carvacrol, Thymol, Cineole, Linalol, Anethole, Sabinen, Cuminaldehyde and Cinnamaldhyde have been demonstrated strong stimulating effects for digestion and antimicrobial activity. Herbal extracts such as thyme, cinnamon, sage and rosemary showed greatest microbial inhibitory effects. Limited research results have demonstrated that herbal extracts could be used a promising feed additive for their antioxidant and hypocholesterolemic effects in laying hen diets. Keywords : Herbal extracts, laying hen, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant