Mosla chinensis is an aromatic herb used in traditional Chinese medicine; its essential oil has known antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. We investigated whether adding this essential oil to chicken diets at a range of inclusion levels could improve growth, antioxidant status, and meat quality in yellow-feathered chickens. In a 52-d trial, 1,008 one-day-old chickens received one of seven diets: an unsupplemented control, oregano essential oil as a commercial reference, or the control diet supplemented with Mosla chinensis Maxim. essential oil at 40, 80, 160, 320, or 640 mg per kilogram of feed. At the intermediate doses (80–160 mg/kg), birds grew faster in the first three weeks and required less feed per unit of weight gain. Oxidative damage in blood, intestinal lining, and breast muscle was lower at these doses. Breast meat from these birds lost less moisture, was more tender, and stayed fresher during refrigerated storage. In the cecum, the oil promoted gut bacteria linked to beneficial short-chain fatty acid production. Of the five doses, 160 mg/kg gave the best overall results across all measurements. Mosla chinensis Maxim. essential oil appears to be a viable plant-derived feed additive for yellow-feathered chicken production.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.