Effects of plant essential oils on intestinal microflora and growth performance of Lingshan native hens.

This study examined the effects of dietary supplementation with citronella oil and cinnamon oil on the abundance and diversity of the intestinal microbiome in Lingshan native hens and explored how these changes may enhance chicken quality by influencing metabolic pathways. After three months of supplementation, the relative abundance of Firmicutes decreased, whereas Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria increased significantly in the experimental group. Correspondingly, the fatty acid content decreased, whereas the levels of free amino acids and inosine monophosphate (IMP) increased. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between IMP content and Proteobacteria, whereas the abundances of Erysipelatoclostridium, Barnesiella, and Faecalitalea were significantly negatively correlated with IMP variation. The abundance of Rikenellaceae_RC9_intestine_group differed across all experimental groups and was strongly correlated with IMP content, suggesting that it is a key microbial factor influencing community composition and chicken traits.