The effects of formic acid or herbal mixture on growth performance, carcass quality, blood chemistry, and gut microbial load in broiler chickens
The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of formic acid (FORM) and an herbal mixture (HM) as antibiotic alternatives in broiler meals on growth efficiency, carcass criteria, blood parameters, and intestinal bacterial populations. A total of 360 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Poultry Science |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125003244 |
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| author | Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack Ahmed K. Aldhalmi Elwy A. Ashour Mahmoud Kamal Mohammad M.H. Khan Ayman A. Swelum |
| author_facet | Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack Ahmed K. Aldhalmi Elwy A. Ashour Mahmoud Kamal Mohammad M.H. Khan Ayman A. Swelum |
| author_sort | Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of formic acid (FORM) and an herbal mixture (HM) as antibiotic alternatives in broiler meals on growth efficiency, carcass criteria, blood parameters, and intestinal bacterial populations. A total of 360 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were assigned to six trial treatments using a totally randomized method. Each group consisted of 6 replicates, with 10 unsexed chicks per replicate. The groups were arranged as follows: NC (negative control, basal diet); PC (positive control, basal diet + 0.5 g Polymyxin E antibiotic/kg diet); Form2, Form4, HM3, and HM6 (basal diet supplemented with 2 or 4 ml formic acid, or 3 or 6 g herbal mixture/kg diet, respectively). The findings showed no substantial variations in ''body weight (BW) or body weight gain (BWG)'' among the formic acid and herbal mixture groups relative to the NC and PC groups. The HM 3 and 6 g/kg groups exhibited higher ''feed intake (FI) and improved feed conversion ratio (FCR)'' relative to the other treatments. Carcass characteristics were not substantially impacted by formic acid or herbal mixture supplementation, except for spleen weight, which was highest in the NC group. Significant changes in blood parameters were observed, with notable variations in ALT and AST activity and ''urea, creatinine, total protein, globulin, and albumin'' levels in the formic acid and herbal mixture groups. The supplementation of formic acid and herbal mixture also increased antioxidant levels (GPx, GST, and GSH) compared to the NC group while reducing MDA levels relative to the NC and PC groups. Additionally, formic acid supplementation significantly reduced harmful bacterial populations in cecal samples. Conversely, Lactobacilli counts greater than those in the NC and PC groups, although no significant variances in Clostridium populations were observed. In conclusion, supplementing broiler feed with formic acid and herbal mixtures positively influences blood parameters, antioxidant status, and intestinal microbiota. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dfa903f108c44c89a47f73aec1df87b9 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0032-5791 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Poultry Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-dfa903f108c44c89a47f73aec1df87b92025-08-20T02:32:04ZengElsevierPoultry Science0032-57912025-06-01104610508510.1016/j.psj.2025.105085The effects of formic acid or herbal mixture on growth performance, carcass quality, blood chemistry, and gut microbial load in broiler chickensMohamed E. Abd El-Hack0Ahmed K. Aldhalmi1Elwy A. Ashour2Mahmoud Kamal3Mohammad M.H. Khan4Ayman A. Swelum5Poultry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt; Department of Industrial Pharmacy, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST) P.O. Box 77, Giza, EgyptCollege of Pharmacy, Al- Mustaqbal University 51001 Babylon, IraqPoultry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, EgyptLaboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR ChinaDepartment of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Sylhet Agricultural University 3100 Sylhet, Bangladesh; Corresponding authors.Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Corresponding authors.The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of formic acid (FORM) and an herbal mixture (HM) as antibiotic alternatives in broiler meals on growth efficiency, carcass criteria, blood parameters, and intestinal bacterial populations. A total of 360 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were assigned to six trial treatments using a totally randomized method. Each group consisted of 6 replicates, with 10 unsexed chicks per replicate. The groups were arranged as follows: NC (negative control, basal diet); PC (positive control, basal diet + 0.5 g Polymyxin E antibiotic/kg diet); Form2, Form4, HM3, and HM6 (basal diet supplemented with 2 or 4 ml formic acid, or 3 or 6 g herbal mixture/kg diet, respectively). The findings showed no substantial variations in ''body weight (BW) or body weight gain (BWG)'' among the formic acid and herbal mixture groups relative to the NC and PC groups. The HM 3 and 6 g/kg groups exhibited higher ''feed intake (FI) and improved feed conversion ratio (FCR)'' relative to the other treatments. Carcass characteristics were not substantially impacted by formic acid or herbal mixture supplementation, except for spleen weight, which was highest in the NC group. Significant changes in blood parameters were observed, with notable variations in ALT and AST activity and ''urea, creatinine, total protein, globulin, and albumin'' levels in the formic acid and herbal mixture groups. The supplementation of formic acid and herbal mixture also increased antioxidant levels (GPx, GST, and GSH) compared to the NC group while reducing MDA levels relative to the NC and PC groups. Additionally, formic acid supplementation significantly reduced harmful bacterial populations in cecal samples. Conversely, Lactobacilli counts greater than those in the NC and PC groups, although no significant variances in Clostridium populations were observed. In conclusion, supplementing broiler feed with formic acid and herbal mixtures positively influences blood parameters, antioxidant status, and intestinal microbiota.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125003244Formic acidHerbal mixtureBroilersPerformance and healthGut microbiota |
| spellingShingle | Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack Ahmed K. Aldhalmi Elwy A. Ashour Mahmoud Kamal Mohammad M.H. Khan Ayman A. Swelum The effects of formic acid or herbal mixture on growth performance, carcass quality, blood chemistry, and gut microbial load in broiler chickens Poultry Science Formic acid Herbal mixture Broilers Performance and health Gut microbiota |
| title | The effects of formic acid or herbal mixture on growth performance, carcass quality, blood chemistry, and gut microbial load in broiler chickens |
| title_full | The effects of formic acid or herbal mixture on growth performance, carcass quality, blood chemistry, and gut microbial load in broiler chickens |
| title_fullStr | The effects of formic acid or herbal mixture on growth performance, carcass quality, blood chemistry, and gut microbial load in broiler chickens |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effects of formic acid or herbal mixture on growth performance, carcass quality, blood chemistry, and gut microbial load in broiler chickens |
| title_short | The effects of formic acid or herbal mixture on growth performance, carcass quality, blood chemistry, and gut microbial load in broiler chickens |
| title_sort | effects of formic acid or herbal mixture on growth performance carcass quality blood chemistry and gut microbial load in broiler chickens |
| topic | Formic acid Herbal mixture Broilers Performance and health Gut microbiota |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125003244 |
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