The application of antibiotics is being regulated continuously. Therefore, natural agents are being investigated that aim to strengthen the defense system of poultry. In our study, capsanthin was applied to investigate its effect on immune response under lipopolysaccharide immunization. Based on our results, capsanthin decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines at both mRNA and protein levels, which suggest the positive effects of capsanthin during inflammation in broiler chickens.

This study was aimed at determining the effects of different doses of thyme essential oil (TEO) and rosemary essential oil (REO) incorporated into broiler rations on performance parameters, including body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion rate, as well as on the quality criteria of breast and drumstick meat. As a result, dietary supplementation with TEO and REO was determined to have a limited effect on performance parameters but to improve the microbial quality of meat.

Phytogenics emerged as a substitute of in-feed antibiotics following the ban on their use at subtherapeutic levels in poultry diets. However, the effects of phytogenics have been uncertain in studies conducted so far. Combined use of phytogenics and probiotics may be effective in this regard. In a nutshell, this study shows that combined use of phytogenics and Bacillus licheniformis possess the potential to improve oxidative stability of breast meat and immune response of broiler chickens.

Stocking broilers at a high density has been a strategy to optimize the area of the cage. If the environment and rearing management are not properly managed, stocking broilers at a high density may, however, result in stressful conditions that are harmful for the production and health of broilers. To ameliorate these unfavourable effects of overcrowding stress, dietary interventions using probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, herbs, vitamins, etc. have been conducted.

The purpose of our study was to investigate whether glutamine and L-carnitine could be used as anti-cold stress nutrients to alleviate the adverse effects of cold stress on newborn broilers. Broilers were respectively fed with different levels of glutamine and L-carnitine according to the L₁₆ (4⁵) orthogonal experimental design for 3 weeks. Their interaction occurred and improved the growth performance, nutritional status and cold stress response of broilers at low temperature.