Effects of nanoencapsulated cumin essential oil as an alternative to the antibiotic growth promoter in broiler diets

The effects of nanoencapsulated cumin essential oil (EO) feeding broilers on growth performance, mucin 2 gene expression, blood parameters, and immune responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) were evaluated. In a completely randomized design, 1050 male day-old Ross 308 broilers were distributed into 7 dietary treatments with 5 replicates of 30 birds per replication. Dietary treatments included 1) control basal (no additives), 2) control antibiotic growth promoter (flavophospholipol at 650 mg/kg), control basal plus a solution of 3) 150 mg/kg of chitosan nanoparticles, free-form cumin EO at 4) 100 or 5) 200 mg/kg, and nanoencapsulated cumin EO at 6) 100 and 7) 200 mg/kg. The use of 200 mg/kg nanoencapsulated cumin EO significantly (P < 0.01) increased body weight gain and mucin 2 gene expression and improved feed conversion ratio compared with other treatment. The highest feed intake was significantly (P < 0.01) in the control treatment during day 15 to 18 and day 29 to 42. In birds fed with nanoencapsulated cumin EO, serum total triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were also significantly lower than birds in the control group. Sheep red blood cell antibody titer (35 and 42 d), immunoglobulin G (42 d), heterophilus (H), lymphocyte (L), and H/L ratio, PHA, and DNCB (42 d) were affected by the nanoencapsulation process of cumin EO (P < 0.01). Finally, cumin EO in nanoencapsulation significantly improved growth performance, mucin 2 gene expression and sustained broiler immune responses and therefore could be used as substitute for antibiotics.