The Biological Activity of L. Essential Oil and Its Effect as a Diet Supplement in Mice and Broiler Chicken.

The use of growth-promoting antibiotics in livestock faces increasing scrutiny and opposition due to concerns about the increased occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Alternative solutions are being sought, and plants of Lamiaceae may provide an alternative to synthetic antibiotics in animal nutrition. In this study, we extracted essential oil from , a member of the Lamiaceae family. We examined the chemical composition of the essential oil and then evaluated the antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities of essential oil and its main compounds . We then evaluated the effectiveness of essential oil in regard to growth performance, feed efficiency, and mortality in both mice and broilers. Carvacrol (49.03%) was the dominant compound in the essential oil extracts. essential oil demonstrated antibacterial properties against (MIC = 87 µg·mL), (MIC = 47 µg·mL), and (MIC = 35 µg·mL). Supplementing the diet of mice with essential oil at a concentration of 0.1% significantly increased body weight (+5.4%) and feed efficiency (+18.85%). In broilers, essential oil significantly improved body weight gain (2.64%). Our results suggest that adding essential oil to the diet of broilers offers a potential substitute for antibiotic growth promoters.