Essential oils effectiveness against the most impactful parasites in poultry farming: a review

SUMMARY: The pressing request to minimise antibiotic administration in livestock production underlines the need for sustainable alternatives to ensure efficiency within avian husbandry. Essential oils (EOs) and their bioactive constituents represent a promising strategy aligned with the One Health approach, promoting animal health, reducing antimicrobial resistance, lessening environmental impact and enhancing food safety by lowering drug residues in food. This review has focused on broiler chickens and laying hens production, providing a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of various EOs, tested both in vitro and in vivo, against the most impactful poultry parasites. Moreover, it assessed current scientific insights regarding the impact of EOs on production performance, underscoring their potential role and future perspectives in sustainable poultry management practices.