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In the poultry industry, using antibiotics as growth promoters has been found to significantly increase feed conversion efficiency and growth performance. Nevertheless, excessive use of antibiotics in the poultry production cycle may also lead to antimicrobial resistance in both poultry and humans. With regard to food safety reasons, most developed countries have banned the use of antibiotics in all animal feeds. Consequently, it may be necessary to explore other preventive alternatives for disease prevention and to stimulate fast growth rate in poultry. The interest in using phytobiotics as an alternative feed additive in poultry diets has increased following its natural, residue-free, and less toxic properties in contrast to synthetic antibiotics. Therefore, this review shed the light on the influences of using phytobiotics as a feed additive in commercial poultry diets and the results on the production performances and health status. Phytobiotics like cinnamon, cumin, oregano, clove, thyme, rosemary, sage, green tea, garlic, fenugreek, pepper, ginger, and other plant mixtures were found to consist of growth-promoting properties that enhance digestibility, stimulate feed intake, and improve growth in poultry. The carry-over effect leads to improved carcass characteristics and meat quality as value-added products. Additionally, various studies have also reported that some plant extracts from thyme, turmeric, lemon, green tea, cinnamon, cumin, wild mushroom, and garlic have antimicrobial effects as well as immunomodulatory function when they are complemented in poultry diets. In summary, phytobiotics can be used effectively to replace antibiotics as feed additives in enhancing production and health performances of poultry for food security while preventing antibiotic resistance.

The primary goal of this research was to elucidate the novel influence of Brachiaria decumbens supplementation on broiler chicken growth performance, nutritional digestibility, cecal microbiota, intestinal histomorphology, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. A total of 300 male day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly subjected to six different treatment groups having five replicates per treatment with 10 birds in each replicate. In treatment 1, broiler chickens were fed commercial diets with no added additives; in treatment 2, broiler chickens were offered commercial diets containing 100 mg/kg of the antibiotic oxytetracycline. However, in treatments 3, 4, 5, and 6, broiler chickens received similar commercial diets supplemented with 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 75 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg of B. decumbens ground leaf powder, respectively, without antibiotics. Throughout the 42-day trial, the body weight gain and total feed intake for each replicate were recorded every week to determine the growth performance. Then, on 21th and 42nd day, ten broilers from each treatment (two in each replicate) were randomly selected and slaughtered to assess the digestibility of nutrients, histomorphology of the small intestine, the population of the cecal microbiota, carcass characteristics, as well as quality of both breast and drumstick muscle. There were differences (p 0.05) in the growth performance, apparent ileal nutrient digestibility, intestinal histomorphology, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. Animals supplemented with 25 mg/kg of B. decumbens had higher growth performance and better ileal nutrient digestibility of protein, fiber, and ether extract, as well as higher villi height and carcass percentage with superior meat quality. Besides, the growth of E. faecalis during the starter phase was inhibited. In summary, B. decumbens supplementation at 25 mg/kg may be suggested as an optimal dose of as a prophylactic as well as an alternative for antibiotic growth promoter in stimulating the productivity of commercial broilers. This unconventional phytobiotic supplementation could be the key to replacing unnecessary antibiotics used in poultry feed.

This study aims to study the effect of Yucca shidigera as a phytobiotic supplementation in enhancing the production performance of commercial broilers reared under tropical environments. A total of 300 male day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allocated into six treatment groups. Treatment 1 broilers were fed with commercial diets without antibiotics. Treatment 2 broilers were fed with commercial diets added with 100 mg/kg oxytetracycline antibiotic. Treatment 3, 4, 5, and 6 were fed with the same commercial diets added with 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg Y. shidigera, respectively, without antibiotic. Throughout the six weeks study period, body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly for each replicate to calculate the body weight gain and feed conversion ratio. In addition, the nutrient digestibility, gut histomorphology, cecal microflora population, carcass characteristics, and meat quality were determined. The results showed significant differences (p &lt, 0.05) in the growth performance, apparent ileal nutrient digestibility, gut histomorphology, carcass traits, and meat quality. Overall, T6 broilers supplemented with 100 mg/kg Y. shidigera demonstrated the best production performances as compared to the other treatment broilers. In summary, information from this study will be valuable for the usability of Y. schidigera, which could be developed as a feed additive to replace antibiotics in the poultry sector in the tropics.