Lippia multiflora (Verbenaceae, Mold.) Essential Oil Effect on Broilers’ Growth, Blood Cell Counts and Blood Plasma Lipid Profile

Kelemin Koné, Tagouèlbè Tiho, Yapo Yapi and Vama Tia

Background and Objective: Lippia multiflora (Verbenaceae) is a medicinal plant known for its essential oil, which exhibits antimicrobial, antioxidant and growth-promoting properties. To reduce antibiotics consumption, through animals’ meat, the work aimed to reduce or eliminate synthetic antibiotics use in poultry farming. The experiment examined Lippia multiflora essential oil’s effect on broilers’ growth, their blood cell counts and their blood plasma profile. Materials and Methods: Four diets were composed. The reference diet had no Lippia multiflora (Lm) essential oil (EO). Thereafter, 1, 1.5 and 2 mL of Lm EO were mixed per kilogram of the reference one. Following, 45 chickens divided into 5 groups of 9 birds each were fed on a given diet. The chickens were reared for 8 weeks, separated into 4 weeks for starter and 4 weeks for grower-finisher periods, without any antibiotic treatment. Additionally, chickens were weighed weekly, taking into account the gender. At week 8, 3 chickens of homogeneous weight per gender were slaughtered per diet and their blood was collected into two tubes. One served for blood cell counts and the second served for blood plasma biochemical analysis. An analysis of variance was used to discriminate the least square means, using the Newman-Keuls test at α = 5%. Result: Mixing 1 mL of Lm EO per kg of feed allowed the best outputs. On week 8, 1 mL of Lm EO delivered 2,024.29±57.50 g, the weightiest. Globally, incorporating 1, 1.5 and 2 mL Lm EO induced decreasing live weights for 2,024.29; 1996.19 and 1,965.92 g, respectively (0.861<p<0.927). Also, increasing 1, 1.5 and 2 mL of Lm EO induced an increasing white blood cell count of 48.01, 68.21 and 96.88×10³/μL, respectively (p<0.0001). Finally, 1 mL of Lm EO delivered the highest HDL-cholesterol content for 0.60±0.05 g/L. Conclusion: Lippia multiflora (Lm) essential oil (EO) may have good effects on broilers’ growth and health status. Better, mixing 1 mL of Lm EO per kilogram of feed enhanced broilers’ HDL-cholesterol content.

View Fulltext Back