The health of the small intestine is crucial for broiler chicken growth. Pathogenic microbial disturbances in the small intestine can infect the digestive tract, leading to inflammation and nutrient absorption disorders, resulting in suboptimal growth.
Farmers have used antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) to improve broiler chicken growth performance, administering them through feed or drinking water in recent decades. However, in 2018, the Indonesian government officially banned AGPs as livestock additives.
The ban on AGP use was driven by concerns over potential AGP residues in chicken meat, which could increase bacterial resistance and cause allergic reactions in humans.
Recognizing the importance of education in addressing these issues, five students from Universitas Gadjah Mada researched adding green betel leaf (Piper betle L.) essential oil to broiler chicken drinking water to enhance productivity.
These five students are Isty Widiastuti (Animal Science and Industry, 2022), Mohammad Rakha Surya Pranaja (Veterinary Medicine, 2022), Annisa Nur Mayka Safitri (Chemistry, 2022), Hanna Priyo Cahyono (Animal Science and Industry, 2022), and Rahmaisya (Chemistry, 2023).
The research was conducted through the Student Creativity Program in Exact Science Research (PKM-RE), funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.
The study on green betel leaf essential oil as a substitute for Antibiotic Growth Promoters to enhance broiler chicken productivity was conducted from May to July 2024 under the guidance of UGM Faculty of Animal Science lecturer Moh. Sofi’ul Anam.
The research was conducted at the Laboratory of the Department of Chemistry, FMIPA UGM, a semi-closed house cage in Minggir, Sleman, Yogyakarta; the Pathology and Anatomy Laboratory of FK-KMK UGM; the Physiology and Reproduction Laboratory of the Faculty of Animal Science UGM; and the Biochemistry and Nutrition Laboratory of the Faculty of Animal Science UGM.
“Green betel leaves are believed to contain phenolic compounds such as eugenol, which have antibacterial properties, and are expected to reduce pathogenic bacteria in the small intestine, thereby increasing nutrient absorption and optimizing broiler chicken growth,” said Rahmaisya on Sunday (Jul. 21).
Isty Widiastuti added that the green betel leaves used in this research were distilled into essential oil and added to the chickens’ drinking water at varying doses. The doses used were 50 μl/liter of drinking water, 100 μl/liter of drinking water, and 150 μl/liter of drinking water.
She explained, “The broiler chickens used as samples were one day old and reared for 34 days, with treatments administered intermittently starting on day 11 until harvest.”
The research results showed that the weight of broiler chickens in the control treatment or with antibiotics in their drinking water was 1639.52 ±16.66 g. Broiler chickens with 50 μl/liter essential oil supplementation weighed 1836.00 ± 43.91 g. Chickens with 100 μl/liter essential oil supplementation weighed 1787.35 ± 41.38 g. Chickens with 150 μl/liter essential oil supplementation weighed 1711.05 ± 65.58 g.
These results indicate that supplementing essential oil at 50 μl/liter of drinking water increased broiler chicken weight by 11.98% compared to the control treatment with antibiotic addition in the drinking water.
According to Widiastuti, supplementing green betel leaf essential oil effectively enhanced broiler chicken growth. These results suggest that more research and exploration of green betel leaves could lead to their supplementation in livestock feed, replacing antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) traditionally used by farmers.
Source: Isty Widiastuti
Editor: Satria