Effects of synbiotic and essential oil supplementation on physicochemical properties, antioxidant status, meat microbiology, mineral content and sensory attributes in broiler chickens

The present study aimed to evaluate the individual and combined effects of a synbiotic containing Lactobacillus fermentum NKN51 (107cfu/g) and 0.3% Mannan oligosaccharide, along with an essential oil formula (TCLVC) developed by IIT Roorkee, on broiler meat quality. The key parameters included physicochemical, antioxidative, microbiological attributes, mineral content and sensory characteristics of broiler chicken. A total of 240-day-old Caribro Vishal broiler chicks were randomly allocated to five treatment groups, each with six replicates of eight birds. The treatments included: T1 (antibiotic growth promoter, CTC @335 mg/kg (15%)), T2 (essential oil formula TCLVC-1.5x), T3 (synbiotic containing Lactobacillus fermentum NKN51 @ 107cfu/g and 0.3% Mannan oligosaccharide), T4 (combination of essential oil formula and synbiotic at the same level), and control group fed a basal diet only. The birds were reared for six weeks. After six weeks, 12 birds from each group (n = 12) were slaughtered, and samples were analyzed for various attributes, including physicochemical, antioxidative, microbiological, mineral content and sensory characteristics. The combined group of synbiotic and essential oil (T4) exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) lower pH (5.66 ± 0.004, P = 0.001) and TBA (0.22 ± 0.018 mg MDA/kg, P = 0.004), higher ABTS (62.14 ± 3.05% inhibition, P = 0.018) and SASA (61.77 ± 1.60% inhibition, P = 0.001) scavenging activities, and better sensory attributes in terms of general appearance (7.37 ± 0.18, P = 0.049), flavor (7.75 ± 0.16, P = 0.006), texture (7.75 ± 0.16, P = 0.002), sourness (7.75 ± 0.16, P = 0.003) and overall acceptability (7.87 ± 0.12, P = 0.047). The study highlights the positive effects of combined supplementation of synbiotic and essential oil on enhancing broiler meat quality. The results showed significant improvements in physicochemical properties, antioxidative activity, sensory attributes along with a trend toward improvement in microbiological counts, making this combination a promising alternative to antibiotic growth promoters for improving the functional value of broiler meat. Combined supplementation of synbiotic and essential oil improved overall broiler meat quality. The addition of synbiotic and essential oil increased antioxidant capacity and reduced microbial load, supporting safer and longer-lasting meat. Synbiotic and essential oil together offer a natural alternative to antibiotics, promoting healthier and more sustainable poultry production.