Production and use of Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) against bacterial diseases in poultry stocks and its effect on food quality

Necrotic entiritis (NE) in broilers is caused by Clostridium perfringens type A (CP) resulting in severe production losses and mortality. Present preventive treatments include the dietary addition of ionophores which may be banned in the EU before long. The plant Artemisia annua L. (AA) produces antimicrobial essential oil components (EOCs) [1] that could substitute the use of these antibiotics in poultry production. A first study focused on improving the production of bioactive EOCs in AA by applying physical and chemical stresses during cultivation. Jasmonic acid induced a significant increase in the content of EOCs such as germacrene D and γ-elemene [2]. Extracts of AA aerial parts were tested for antimicrobial activity in overnight cultures of CP strains isolated from diseased broilers. The hexane extract containing EOCs showed the strongest inhibition (MIC=170 ppm) confirming the potential use of AA EOCs as antimicrobial agents. This extract was incorporated in the diet of broilers applying a NE disease model. The treatment reduced the population of CP and the severity of the associated small intestinal lesions (p<0.05). Furthermore, CP infected broilers fed the diet supplemented with AA hexane extract gained more weight than the control animals (p<0.05). Healthy broilers were fed diets supplemented with dried AA material to ascertain that the palatability of the meat is not affected. Breast filets evaluated by a descriptive sensory analysis did not show any effect of the treatment on meat flavour/taste nor texture or appearance. Hence, AA extracts show promising results as antimicrobial additives in poultry diets.

Keywords: Artemisia annua, necrotic enteritis, Clostridium perfringens, essential oil components, sensory analysis

References: 1. Si W et al. (2009)J App Microb 106: 213–220

2. Ivarsen E et al. (2010) Phcog Mag 6(22 Suppl.): 126