To meet the requirements of the modern chicken industry, high levels of productivity and efficient feed conversion are necessary. This can be partially accomplished by using particular feed additives. The prohibition of antibiotic usage has compelled researchers to explore alternative options to antibiotics. Organic acids and their salts are commonly employed in poultry farming as substitutes for antibiotic growth promoters. These compounds are distinguished by the presence of a carboxylic acid group and are classified as weak acids. They function as intermediates in the degradation of amino acids, sugars, and fatty acids. Organic acids encompass a wide range of chemical substances that are commonly found naturally as fundamental constituents of animal tissues, plants, and microorganisms. Organic acids decrease the pH of the intestinal tract, promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms. This enhances the digestion of nutrients and increases immunity in chickens, eliminating the need for antibiotics. This review provides an overview of recent research findings regarding the antimicrobial effect of organic acids and the impact of organic acids on growth performance, intestinal health, and carcass and organ characteristics of broiler chickens.

Entomophagy has received widespread attention in both developed and underdeveloped nations. However, the exponential increase in demand for the few available conventional food and feed ingredients that are limitedin supply and production has spurred the interest of food scientists and researchers to scale up their efforts to attain a more sustainable food ecosystem. This review, however, focuses on the current state of knowledge and the prowess of entomophagy to provide global faunas (micro and macro) with more extensive food and feed options. Edible insects potentially satisfy human dietary protein demands compared with other protein sources such as beef, chicken and pork. Unlike other animal-based proteins, edible insects contain higher protein levels, reaching 30% to 85% on a dry matter basis, and can quickly transform low-quality organic waste into edible protein. More so, studies have shown that replacing fishmeal with insect meal is a suitable alternative protein source for farm animals. Insect farming refers to the practice of raising and breeding insects as mini-livestock for the purpose of producing food or feed products that can be consumed directly by humans or animals. Insect farming is environmentally friendly due to its low ecological impact and the minimal need for arable land and water resources compared to other livestock species using about 80% of available agricultural land worldwide. When globally accepted, entomophagy and commercial insect farming have the potential to ease the hunger threat for the predicted world population, expected to be between 9.4 to 10.1 billion people in 2050.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of incremental dietary supplementation with sweet orange peel meal (SOPM) on growth performance, carcass traits, haematology, serum biochemistry, electrolyte balance, antioxidant status, and humoral immunity in broiler chickens. Two hundred and eighty Arbor acres chicks were assigned to four treatment groups, which were replicated five times (consisting of 14 birds per replicate). The treatment groups included a control group (without supplementation of SOPM) and three other treatment groups supplemented with SOPM (25, 50, and 75 g/kg diet). The results revealed that body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and carcass traits were not significantly affected in birds supplemented with SOPM. Except for the packed cell volume and white blood cell count, the haematological parameters were unaffected. Serum protein levels were significantly improved in birds supplemented with SOPM. Dietary supplementation with SOPM significantly increased (p < 0.05) high-density lipoprotein and decreased the levels of serum cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase. SOPM improved (p < 0.05) potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, and total carbon dioxide of broiler chickens. The results showed an increase (p < 0.05) in superoxide dismutase, glutathione, catalase, vitamin C, and vitamin E levels, with a significant decrease in the malondialdehyde concentration in broiler birds. In addition, the levels of immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin Y, and immunoglobulin M were significantly enhanced in broiler birds supplemented with SOPM than those in the control group. In conclusion, supplementation with SOPM at 25, 50, or 75 g/kg can serve as a functional feed additive in broiler chicken diets without adverse effects.

This study investigated the combined effects of Crinum glaucum and Allium sativum on the growth performance, carcass traits, haematology, serum biochemistry, humoral immunity, and oxidative status in broiler chickens. A total of 256 one-day-old Arbor acres broiler chicks were divided into four experimental treatment groups with four replicates of 16 birds each for a 49-day study. The control group received a basal diet (BD) with 0 g/kg of Crinum glaucum + 0 g/kg of Allium sativum (0CG + 0AS), while the other treatment groups received BD + 1 g/kg of Crinum glaucum + 1 g/kg of Allium sativum (1CG + 1AS); BD + 2 g/kg of Crinum glaucum + 2 g/kg of Allium sativum (2CG + 2AS); and BD + 3 g/kg of Crinum glaucum + 3 g/kg of Allium sativum (3CG + 3AS), respectively. The results revealed a significant linear increase in body weight and body weight gain, alongside improved feed conversion ratio in the treatment groups supplemented with Crinum glaucum and Allium sativum. No significant effect was observed in feed intake. The results showed improvements (p < 0.05) in carcass percentage and in breast, drumstick, and thigh weights. Haematological parameters were not affected, except for packed cell volume and haemoglobin. Significant effects (p < 0.05) were observed for all the serum biochemical parameters except for total protein, globulin, low-density lipoprotein, and total CO₂. Furthermore, IgA and IgY levels showed a significant positive quadratic (p = 0.001) and linear effect (p < 0.001), whereas no significant effect on IgM levels was detected. Oxidative status improved significantly, with increased superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, vitamin C, and vitamin E, while decreasing malondialdehyde levels. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the combined dietary supplementation with 3 g/kg of Crinum glaucum and 3 g/kg of Allium sativum can enhance the health status and performance of broiler chickens without adverse effects.

This study evaluated the dietary impact of West African black pepper (WABP; Piper guineense) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) on the growth performance, carcass traits, haemato-biochemical profile, and oxidative stress markers of broiler chickens. A total of 200 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were allocated to 4 dietary treatment groups (T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄) of 5 replicates (10 birds per replicate) in a completely randomised design for a 49-day study. Broiler birds in T₁ (control) were fed basal diet (BD), T₂ (BD + 5 g turmeric/kg), T₃ (BD + 5 g WABP/kg), and T₄ (BD + 2.5 g turmeric and 2.5 g WABP/kg). This study found (p < 0.05) that feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly altered during the starter phase, while no significant effect was observed in body weight gain (BWG). BWG, FI, and FCR were not significantly affected (p > 0.05) during the finisher and overall phases. Except for haemoglobin and red blood cell count in the finisher phase, haematological measures were not affected (p > 0.05). During the starter phase, aspartate aminotransferase decreased (p < 0.05) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) increased (p < 0.05) across the treatment groups fed Piper guineense and Curcuma longa compared with those in the control group. In the finisher phase, all the serum biochemistry parameters, except for the serum protein content were significantly (p < 0.05) impacted. Piper guineense and Curcuma longa significantly (p < 0.05) increased superoxide dismutase and reduced (p < 0.05) malondialdehyde during the starter phase across the treatment groups, with no significant (p > 0.05) effect on catalase and glutathione. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione were significantly (p < 0.05) increased while malondialdehyde significantly decreased (p < 0.05) during the finisher phase when compared to the control group. Conclusively, these findings suggest the potential health benefits of these dietary additives in broiler chicken nutrition to enhance overall health and performance.