Cinnamon: A Natural Feed Additive for Poultry Health and Production—A Review

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Due to restrictions on antibiotics in chicken production in recent years, the poultry industry has looked towards alternatives such as plant-derived feed additives. Plant bioactive compounds, such as phytochemicals, in poultry diets, are gaining popularity due to their potential antioxidant and anti-microbial activities. Some plant derivatives improve the immune system, reduce the stress response, and exert positive effects on health and performance. The dietary supplementation of cinnamon in poultry feed as a natural feed additive has beneficial impacts on nutrient digestibility, hypocholesterolaemic, blood biochemical profile, gene expression, immunity, and particularly on gut health to alleviate the impact of disease and heat stress by maintaining water and electrolytic balance and feed intake. It is clearly demonstrated that cinnamon can be used as an alternative to antibiotics in the poultry industry offering greater animal health, food safety, and economic aspects of poultry production. ABSTRACT: The increased bacterial resistance to synthetic antibiotics and consumer awareness about the health and food safety concerns have triggered the ban on the use of antibiotic growth promotors (AGPs) in the poultry industry. This situation encouraged the poultry sector and industry to explore safe alternatives to AGPs and focus on developing more sustainable feed management strategies to improve the intestinal health and growth performance of poultry. Consequently, phytogenic feed additives (PFAs) have emerged as natural alternatives to AGPs and have great potential in the poultry industry. In recent years, cinnamon (one of the most widely used spices) has attracted attention from researchers as a natural product with numerous health benefits for poultry. The essential oils in cinnamon, in particular, are of interest because of their antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and hypocholesterolaemic effects, in addition to their ability to stimulate digestive enzymes in the gut. This review mainly emphasizes the potential impact of cinnamon as a natural feed additive on overall gut health, nutrient digestibility, blood biochemical profile, gene expression, gut microbiota and immune response.