{
  "abstract": "Antibiotic-growth-promoters (AGPs) used in poultry feed pose public health risks due to potential dissemination of antimicrobial-resistance genes through the food-chain. This study evaluated essential oils (EOs) from lemongrass (LG) and spearmint (SM) herbs, as alternatives to AGPs through integrated in-vitro and in-vivo assessments. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified geranial (40.15%) and neral (28.17%) as principal constituents of LGEO, while d-limonene (28.96%) and carvone (47.19%) predominated in SMEO. Entrapment of EO in chitosan-sodium-tripolyphosphate matrix was observed through Fourier-Transform-Infrared-Spectroscopy, with chitosan-EO ratio 1:0.8 yielding optimal encapsulation-efficiency (EE) and loading-capacity (LC). Chitosan-coated LGEO (C-LGEO) achieved the highest EE% (73.22) and LC (18.30), whereas chitosan-coated SMEO (C-SMEO) showed EE% of 69.19% and LC of 17.36%. C-SMEO exhibiting lower MIC values (0.71–3.73 µL/mL) and wider inhibition-zones (9.23–14.13 mm) than free SMEO (0.85–4.33 µL/mL; 8.4–12.83 mm) against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, S. aureus, and C. perfringens, likewise C-LGEO showed lower MIC values (1.63–8.83 µL/mL) and wider inhibition zones (6.96–10.3 mm) than free-LGEO (2.33–11.53 µL/mL; 6–7.73 mm) against the same bacteria. DPPH radical-scavenging activity at 50 µl/ml was 43.3%, 45.6%, 63.3%, and 67.5% for LGEO, SMEO, C-LGEO, and C-SMEO, respectively. A pilot in-vivo trial using 56 day-old-chicks Ross-308 male broilers across six dietary treatments (control, enramycin, and four EO groups demonstrated that C-LGEO and C-SMEO produced growth-performance comparable to antibiotic group, with feed conversion ratios of 1.62 and 1.67 and body weight gains of 2110 g and 2105 g, respectively, supporting encapsulated EOs as promising natural AGP alternatives.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Production and Technology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan",
    "Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Animal Production and Technology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan",
    "Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Pakistan"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Muhammad Abdullah"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Saima"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shafqat Nawaz Qaisrani"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Shahid Mehmood"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Zafar Hayat"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6eabzd0c2y78n.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.vas.2026.100913",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13734782/",
  "id": "6eabzd0c2y78n",
  "issns": [
    "2451-943X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vas.2026.100913",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1103|Animal Nutrition and Physiology"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223223104",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451943X2600342X/pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13734782",
  "pmid": "42990870",
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": "Elsevier",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6eabzd0c2y78n.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T12:20:36Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13734782",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vas.2026.100913"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1103|Animal Nutrition and Physiology",
      "subfield": "zoology-behaviour"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Chitosan-encapsulated lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus P.) and spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) essential oils as growth modulators: Correlating in-vitro activity with broiler performance",
  "title_text": "Chitosan-encapsulated lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus P.) and spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) essential oils as growth modulators: Correlating in-vitro activity with broiler performance",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T12:20:36Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6eabzd0c2y78n",
  "venue": "Veterinary and Animal Science",
  "versions": []
}