Mal. J. Anim. Sci. 21(2): 59-67 December 2018 Malaysian Society of Animal Production Effect of local medicinal herbs as feed additives on production performance and faecal parameters in laying hens Ooi, P. S.1, Rohaida, A. R.1*, Nur Hardy, A. D.1, Devina, D.1, Borhan, A. H.1, Kartini, S.1, Jupikely, J. S.1, Abdul Rahman, M.1 and Alimon, A. R.2 1Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Locked Bag 3, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia 2Universitas Gadjah Mada, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia *Corresponding author: [email protected] Received: 20 November 2018. Accepted: 3 December 2018. Abstract Medicinal herbs are gaining importance in both human and animal nutrition due to their bioactive components that possess a wide range of beneficial effects on body health enhancement. To concord with the banning of antibiotic growth promoters in animal nutrition, research was carried out to utilize phytogenic feed additives in poultry nutrition as the alternative to improve their overall performance. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of the three selected herbs at the level of 1% on production performance and faecal parameters in laying hens. In this study, a total of 96 Bovans Brown layers of 32 wk old were subjected to four dietary treatments in the form of CRD, namely (T1) control, (T2) basal diet + 1% of turmeric rhizome powder, (T3) basal diet + 1% of Vietnamese coriander leaf powder, and (T4) basal diet + 1% of Dayak onion powder. The layers were given 7-d adaption period before the feeding trial started which lasted for 12 wk. The results showed that there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the means of overall feed intake, egg mass, feed conversion efficiency as well as body weight gain among the treatment groups. The hen-day egg production and egg weight of birds in treatments T2 and T4 showed significant differences (P<0.05) compared to control group. Besides, the birds in the treatment groups supplemented with medicinal herbs (T2, T3 and T4) also showed significant reduction in faecal pH and faecal Entero bacteriaceae counts (P<0.05) compared to the control, while significantly improved (p<0.05) the faecal lactic acid bacteria counts as compared to those in the control group. Thus, the present study suggests that dietary supplementation of 1% of turmeric rhizome powder, Vietnamese coriander leaf powder and Dayak onion powder in layer diet can achieve better performance in terms of hen-day egg production and egg weight associated with favourable intestinal environment without any adverse effect. Keywords: Laying hen, Turmeric, Vietnamese coriander, Dayak onion, Phytogenic feed additive. Introduction performance. In the layer poultry industry, the manipulation of feed compositions such To ensure the efficiency and profitability as introducing phytogenic feed additives in of livestock production as well as sustain the layer diets have been studied to improve the food security due to the increasing demand of egg production performance. Furthermore, livestock produce, an enhancement in terms studies also showed that phytogenics have of nutrition together with other management the potential to be natural antibiotics, as the is crucial for the maintenance of animal alternative to the antibiotic cum growth health and thus increasing production promoters which have been banned since 59 Mal. J. Anim. Sci. 21(2): 59-67 December 2018 Malaysian Society of Animal Production 2006. Phytogenic feed additives are defined the (Z)-3-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, decanal, as plant based compounds that are mixed into undecanal, and dodecanal (Starkenmann et animal diets at optimal level through al., 2006). Besides, it also has been used in amelioration of feed properties to improve traditional medicine to treat illnesses such as animal production performance (Windisch et diarrhoea and inflammation. Researches al., 2008). Unlike the antibiotic growth revealed that these medicinal effects are promoter, these phytogenic feed additives are related to the properties of Vietnamese safe and do not produce any side effects, coriander such as antibacterial and antifungal, such as drug resistance (Padhi et al., 2015). antioxidant, antidiabetic and others (Ridzuan Aside from the benefits such as improving et al., 2013; Shu et al., 2009; Nanasombat et feed intake, phytogenics also help to al., 2009). According to Sasongko et al. stimulate the digestive activities in the gut. (2011b), it consists of major volatile Findings showed that this might be due to the compounds such as long-chain aldehydes presence of bioactive components or plant (eupatoriochromene, dodecanal and others) secondary metabolites in the plants having and plant secondary metabolites (flavonoids many antimicrobial, antioxidant and and phenolic compounds) (Gouri et al., immune-stimulatory properties (Liu et al., 2006). However, there is limited usage in 2014; Shahryar et al., 2011). animal nutrition. Curcuma longa L., or turmeric, is a Eleutherine palmifolia (L.) Merr, or perennial herb that widely grown in tropical Dayak onion is an indigenous herbaceous and subtropical regions (Rahardja et al., 2015; plant that originated from South America and Beevers et al., 2011), in which it is widely found in the regions of Africa, commonly used as spice, food preservative Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines (Agustin and colouring agent as well as in the et al., 2016). It is commonly used among practices of Ayurverdic and traditional Dayak tribe in Kalimantan as medicinal Chinese medicinal system since thousand herbs to cure various illness such as high years ago (Prasad et al., 2011). Turmeric and blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol its main active compounds – curcuminoids (Kuntorini et al., 2010), as well as consumed mainly curcumin are found to give the effects by postpartum mothers as herbal drink for the of antioxidant, antimicrobial and others, healing process (Harlita et al., 2018). It is which enable it to be used in treating various reported that its bulb consists of several bio- illness such as gastrointestinal and active compounds such as naptoquinones respiratory disorders (Labban, 2014; Kafi et (elecanacine, eleutherine, eleutherol, al., 2017). In addition, it has been shown that eleutherinone) and secondary metabolites curcumin in turmeric aids in improving the that gives the properties of antioxidant and liver function which in turn increased the antimicrobial (Agustin et al., 2016). In 2017, synthesis of vitellogenin and follicular Maftuch revealed that its crude extract development and thus increased the egg significantly reduced the bacterial population production performance (Saraswati et al., in fishes and reduce infection of fishes by 2013b). inhibiting the growth of A. hydrophila, V. Persicaria odorata L., or Vietnamese harveyi and P. fluorescens bacteria. However, coriander, is an indigenous perennial herb information is lacking on the effect of from Southeast Asia (Gouri et al., 2016). It is inclusion in animal diet. Therefore, this study often used in local cuisine of Vietnam, was performed to evaluate the effects of Malaysia and Singapore as it has strong dietary supplementation of the three herbs on lemony scent (Sasongko et al., 2011a) due to 60 Mal. J. Anim. Sci. 21(2): 59-67 December 2018 Malaysian Society of Animal Production production performance and faecal powder form before being mixed with basal parameters in laying hens. diet at the level of 1% (Table 1). A total of 96 Bovans Brown layers with Materials and Methods average age of 32 wk old were randomly allocated into four treatment groups, with six Preparation of treatment herbs, birds and replicates per treatment and each replicate experimental design consisted of four birds, where each of the birds was kept individually in a cage. The The present study was conducted at dietary treatments consisted of (T1) control, Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, (T2) basal diet + 1% of turmeric rhizome University of Malaysia Sabah in Sandakan powder, (T3) basal diet + 1% of Vietnamese Sabah. Fresh turmeric rhizomes, Vietnamese coriander leaf powder, and (T4) basal diet + coriander leaves and Dayak onion bulbs were 1% of Dayak onion bulb powder (Table 1). purchased from several local markets located The birds were allowed 7 d of adaption at Sandakan, Sabah. The fresh herbs were period followed by the feeding trial which chopped into pieces and oven dried at 55°C lasted for 12 wk. The experimental diets and until a constant weight was achieved. The clean drinking water were provided ad- dried herb samples were then ground into libitum throughout the trial period. Table 1. Ingredients and composition of experimental diets Ingredients (%) 1T1 T2 T3 T4 Yellow corn 58.20 58.20 58.20 58.20 Soybean meal 24.10 24.10 24.10 24.10 Wheat 3.80 2.80 2.80 2.80 Crude palm oil 1.55 1.55 1.55 1.55 L-lysine 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 DL-methionine 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.16 MDCP 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.50 Limestone 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 Common salt 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 Vitamin premix 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.07 Mineral premix 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 Choline chloride 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Treatment - herb - 1.00 1.00 1.00 Total 100 100 100 100 Analysed composition (%) Dry matter 88.92 88.99 88.93 88.98 Ash 11.89 12.10 12.19 12.21 Crude protein 16.63 16.68 16.62 16.66 Ether extract 3.32 3.32 3.34 3.35 Crude fibre 3.18 3.38 3.43 3.20 Calcium 3.70 3.71 3.68 3.69 1T1 Control, T2 basal diet + turmeric rhizome powder, T3 basal diet + 1% of Vietnamese coriander leaf powder, and T4 basal diet + 1% of Dayak onion powder 61 Mal.