Studies on growth promoting effects of cinnamon powder and cinnamaldehyde in broilers

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the growth-promoting effects of cinnamon powder and cinnamaldehyde as natural alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in broiler chickens. A total of 144 one-day-old Van-Cobb broiler chicks were randomly allotted to six dietary treatments with four replicates of six birds each for a 42-days feeding trial. The treatments included basal control diet, basal diet supplemented with avilamycin (15 mg/kg feed), cinnamon powder at 5 and 10 g/kg feed, and cinnamaldehyde at 150 and 300 mg/kg feed. Growth performance parameters, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and intestinal histomorphology were evaluated. Dietary supplementation of cinnamon powder (5 and 10 g/kg) and cinnamaldehyde (150 and 300 mg/kg) significantly improved body weight and body weight gain compared to the control group, with performance comparable to the antibiotic-supplemented group. Total feed consumption did not differ significantly among treatments, while FCR was significantly improved in all supplemented groups during the later growth phase (weeks 5-6). Histomorphological examination of the small intestine revealed significant increases in villus height, villus width, and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, along with reduced crypt depth in the jejunum and ileum of birds receiving cinnamon powder and cinnamaldehyde, indicating enhanced intestinal absorptive capacity. Overall, the results indicated that cinnamon powder, particularly at 5 g/kg feed, and cinnamaldehyde at 300 mg/kg feed showed growth-promoting and gut-health-enhancing effects comparable to antibiotic supplementation, suggesting their potential as safe and effective phytogenic alternatives in broiler production systems.