Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of a natural additive based on essential oils and its effect determination on the performance of chicken production under commercial conditions

Abstract

Brazilian poultry farming is one of the livestock activities with the greatest economic and social impact in the country; according to the IBGE (Agricultural Census of 2017) it has more than 2.5 million establishments dedicated to the chicken's production and more than 2.8 million establishments dedicated to the production of eggs, in all 27 units of the federation. According to the National Agriculture Confederation, the production of chicken meat exceeded 13 million tons in 2019, with a production value exceeding R $ 40 billion. Also, in the generation of foreign exchange through exports, poultry stands out: according to SECEX, more than 4 million tons were exported at a value higher than US $ 6.5 billion, making Brazil one of the largest producers and exporters of beef. chicken. On the other hand, production costs, concentrated mainly on food and health care, present today the best opportunities to increase productivity and economic return for poultry farmers. As for the consumer market, poultry is moving towards banning synthetic compounds used in poultry diets, as has been happening with growth-promoting antibiotics, both due to the guidelines imposed by Brazilian legislation and the increased demand from opposing consumers. to the addition of artificial additives in the animals' diets. Thus, companies and universities have guided their efforts in the search for natural products that effectively replace these synthetic compounds. Herbs and spices emerge as an option for use in animal diets, since they have several intrinsic defense mechanisms with known antimicrobial, anti-fungal, antioxidant actions, among others. A variety of in vitro studies with essential oils obtained from different plants confirm its various mechanisms of action, especially with regard to combating pathogens and antioxidant action. However, in vivo studies become essential to elucidate and confirm the efficacy in the use of essential oils, expressing their results in the form of improved performance, control of pathogens and increased shelf life, which are the objectives of the antimicrobial and antioxidant action of these compounds. The Multidisciplinary Research Center for Chemical, Biological and Agricultural Research - CPQBA, from UNICAMP, developed and patented a micro particle of essential oils in order to reduce lipid oxidation in processed chicken meat, which showed antimicrobial effects and improved performance in growth of birds in certain concentrations. In this sense, Terpenia, a company in the process of establishment, with the objective of producing additives for animal feed based on natural products derived from essences and plant extracts, negotiates with Inova / Unicamp the licensing of the micro particle developed by CPQBA, for use as a growth promoter and antimicrobial additive in broiler diets. With the present research work, it intends to evaluate the effects and determine the technical viability of using the micro particle of essential oils as a zoo technical additive that promotes growth, inhibits microbial activity and induces the increase in the formation of omega 3 fatty acids in broilers. (AU)