Evaluation of synbiotic and cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) as antibiotic growth promoter substitutions on growth performance, intestinal microbial populations and blood parameters in Japanese quail

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with cinnamon powder, cinnamon oil, and synbiotic as growth promoter agents on growth performance, blood parameters, and intestinal microbial populations in Japanese quails. A total of 420 one-day-old Japanese quails were randomly assigned to 7 treatments with 4 replicates. The dietary treatments consisted of the basal diet as control, 200 mg virginiamycin/kg, 100 and 200 mg cinnamon oil, 1 and 2 g cinnamon powder/kg, and 500 mg synbiotic/kg added to the basal diet. Birds were given feed and water ad libitum. Body weight gain and feed intake of quails were determined at day 1, 21, and 35, and feed conversion ratio was calculated. At day 35, two birds per replicate were slaughtered for determination of bacteria colony count. Compared to control and 1 g cinnamon powder/kg diet, supplementing 200 mg cinnamon oil/kg increased body weight gain of quails at day 35 (P<0.05). Feeding 200 mg cinnamon oil/kg and virginiamycin improved feed conversion ratio compared to control group at day 35 (P<0.05). Count of lactobacillus bacteria increased in birds fed 200 mg cinnamon oil/kg diet in comparison with the birds fed control, virginiamycin and 2 g cinnamon powder/kg diets. Dietary supplementation of 200 mg cinnamon oil/kg diet and virginiamycin decreased the number of coliforms in the ileum. In conclusion, 200 mg cinnamon oil/kg diet can be applied as an alternative to antibiotic for Japanese quails diets to improve growth performance, and it can also increase the number of lactobacillus bacteria and decrease coliforms.