Citation: Iwi ´ nski, H.; Chodkowska,
K.A.; Drabik, K.; Batkowska, J.;
Karwowska, M.; Kuropka, P.;
Szumowski, A.; Szumny, A.;
Ró˙ za ´ nski, H. The Impact of a
Phytobiotic Mixture on Broiler
Chicken Health and Meat Safety.
Animals 2023, 13, 2155. https://
doi.org/10.3390/ani13132155
Academic Editors: Eric Nanthan
Ponnampalam and Benjamin W.B.
Holman
Received: 6 March 2023
Revised: 11 June 2023
Accepted: 26 June 2023
Published: 30 June 2023
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).
animals
Article
The Impact of a Phytobiotic Mixture on Broiler Chicken Health
and Meat Safety
Hubert Iwi ´ nski
1,2,
* , Karolina A. Chodkowska
1,3,
* , Kamil Drabik
4
, Justyna Batkowska
4
,
Malgorzata Karwowska
5
, Piotr Kuropka
6
, Adam Szumowski
2
, Antoni Szumny
2
and Henryk Ró ˙ za ´ nski
1,7
1
AdiFeed Sp. z o.o., Opaczewska, 02-201 Warszawa, Poland
2
Department of Food Chemistry and Biocatalysis, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences,
C.K. Norwida 25, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
3
Krzy ˙ zanowski Partners Spólka z o.o., Zakladowa 7, 26-670 Pionki, Poland
4
Institute of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Akademicka 13,
20-950 Lublin, Poland
5
Department of Meat Technology and Food Quality, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Skromna 8,
20-704 Lublin, Poland
6
Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences,
C.K. Norwida 25, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
7
Laboratory of Industrial and Experimental Biology, Institute for Health and Economics, Carpathian State
College in Krosno, Rynek 1, 38-400 Krosno, Poland
* Correspondence: hubert.iwinski@upwr.edu.pl (H.I.); k.chodkowska@jkrzyzanowski.pl (K.A.C.);
Tel.: +48-507135305 (H.I.); +48-726220144 (K.A.C.)
Simple Summary: Food safety is becoming one of the key criteria for consumer choices. More
and more importance is being attached to the use of alternatives to classical antibiotic therapy, not
only in terms of increasing drug resistance but also because of the risk of residues of substances
dangerous to humans. Phytobiotics have become some of the most popular and, what is very
important, effective forms of support for the classical antibiotics and their reduction in livestock
animals. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the effect of a phytobiotic composition
that contained several phytoncides—menthol, trans-anethole, methyl salicylate, 1,8-cineole, organic
acids, and metal ions (Zn and Mn) on meat quality and safety. The results showed that differ-
ent doses of this mixture (D1—0.5 mL/L, D2—1 mL/L, D3—2 mL/L), used 4 times during the
rearing, do not have negative impacts on bird health or meat quality. No residues of menthol,
eucalyptol, methyl salicylate, or anethol were found above the limit of quantification in the investi-
gated samples. Furthermore, no residues of the used product were found in tissues intended for
human consumption.
Abstract: The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of different doses of a phytobiotic
mixture on selected production parameters and meat quality and to assess the residue of the
preparation in tissues and the possible toxic effects in broiler chickens. Broiler chicks aged 160 days,
divided into four equal groups, were supplemented with the phytobiotic mixture at different doses,
D1—0.5 mL/L, D2—1 mL/L, and D3—2 mL/L, four times during a 42-day trial. There were no
statistically significant differences in weight gain per week of life and mortality in the birds. The
study also demonstrated that the use of the mixture of phytobiotics had no significant effect on
colour, pH, WHC, and natural leakage. However, a beneficial effect of the additive was found in the
group treated with a dose of 1 mL/L, where less thermal leakage from the meat was demonstrated.
Furthermore, significant differences in the change in thigh muscle tenderness were also observed.
In the histopathological analysis of the liver no significant differences were observed. In addition,
no residues of the mixture or its metabolites were found in the tissues analysed. In conclusion, the
proposed scheme of administration of the phytobiotic additive, regardless of the dose, does not
cause pathological changes in organs and does not carry the risk of residues of the product in tissues
intended for human consumption.
Animals 2023, 13, 2155. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13132155 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals