Use of active substances of plant origin in chicken diets based on maize and locally grown cereals

1. A total of 336 Hubbard Hi-Y broiler hybrids were fed from d 1-41 on diets based on maize or wheat and barley which were supplemented (or not) with 100 mg/kg plant extract consisting of capsaicin, cinnamaldehyde and carvacrol. 2. Body weight was not enhanced, but feed conversion improved by 4.2% on the maize diet and 2.0% on the wheat and barley diet. 3. Plant extract addition enhanced the breast muscle proportion of empty body weight by 1.2% in comparison to control birds. 4. The apparent ileal digestibility of nutrients (crude protein, fibre and amino acids) was not significantly better in birds fed on supplemented diets than in the control group. 5. Reduction of E. coli, Clostridium perfringens and fungi and increase of Lactobacillus spp. were observed in the 41-d-old chickens from the supplemented groups. 6. An increase in the lipase activity in pancreas and intestine wall was found in older birds fed on the plant extract supplemented diets.