Effect of Dietary Synbiotic and Cinnamon Essential Oil on Growth Performance, Intestinal Morphology, Serum Indices and Intestinal Microbial Population in Japanese Quails

Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging problem. Alternatives to antibiotics such as synbiotics and essential oil are being used in poultry diets. The study was designed to investigate the effects of synbiotics and the essential oil of cinnamon (CEO) in feed supplementation at different levels on growth performance, gut histomorphometry, specific serum indices, and intestinal microbial populations in Japanese quails. A hundred Japanese day–old birds were randomly allocated into four treatments groups including the Control group (T1) with basal diet (BD), T2 (BD+CEO 200mg/kg of diet), T3 (BD+synbiotic 1g/kg of diet), and T4 (BD+ CEO 200mg/kg of diet + synbiotic 1g/kg of diet). The trials were conducted for 35 days with a basal diet and water ad libitum was provided with usual farming practices. After the completion of the trial (day 35), two birds per replicate (25 birds per group) were slaughtered for serum analysis. Improved growth performance and gut histomorphometry were observed in the supplemented groups. The triglyceride values were significantly (P<0.05) decreased in supplemented groups than the control group. The serum total cholesterol had also significantly (P<0.05) decreased in supplemented groups than the control group. The E. coli count was significantly (P<0.05) decreased in supplemented groups than the control group. However, the Lactobacillus count significantly (P<0.05) increased in supplemented groups than the control group and was maximum in group III. it is concluded that Synbiotic and CEO dietary inclusion improves the blood serum indices and intestinal beneficial bacteria and decreases pathogenic bacteria in Japanese quails.