The Use of Star Anise-Cinnamon Essential Oil as an Alternative Antibiotic in Prevention of Infections in Yellow Chickens.

is capable of harming human and animal health, and its multidrug resistance (MDR) has always been a public health problem. In addition, antibiotic-free or antibiotic-reduced policies have been implemented in poultry production. Therefore, the search for antibiotic alternatives is more urgent than ever before. The aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial activity of star anise-cinnamon essential oil (SCEO) in vitro and its prophylactic effect against the infections of , , and in vivo. The results demonstrated that SCEO is effective against , , and in vitro. Supplementation with SCEO could significantly decrease the infections of and , whereas it could slightly but not significantly decrease the infection of , while also significantly alleviating the body weight (BW) loss caused by the infections of , , and in Yellow chickens. The SCEO had the best prophylactic effect against the infection of in Yellow chickens, followed by the infection of and the infection of . The SCEO, used as an antibiotic alternative, could be an effective prevention strategy against the infections of , , and in Yellow chickens.