Aromatic plants and herbs have been used for millennia due to their conserving, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Phytomolecules found in essential oils and herbal extracts act in several ways in animals’ bodies, inhibiting the growth of pathogenic gram positive and negative bacteria, encouraging enzyme production, and blocking free radicals. Using products made from those aromatic substances in a standardized and combined way allows their active ingredients to operate in synergy to decrease intestinal infections, improve nutrient absorption, and consequently increase feed conversion.

              Besides the nutraceutic properties of oils and extracts, using those raw materials is an alternative to conventional antibiotics especially because they do not lead to microbial resistance, do not leave residues in animal tissue, and are deemed safe by agencies like the FDA (Code of Federal Regulations, title 21, part 582) and the Council of the European Union (Directive 70/524/EEC Chap. III).