Giving hens a boost with Curcumin
Turmeric, known as Curcuma longa, is a plant from the ginger family. Turmeric powder has a characteristic yellow-orange colour. It has long been recognised for its potential health properties; it has been used in cooking and ethnomedicine for thousands of years. The reason (apart from its distinctive taste in many dishes!) is it contains the polyphenol curcumin. Curcumin is also a natural pigment, giving turmeric its distinctive colour. While turmeric is not the only source of curcumin (curcumin can be found in shoti, the zedoary root, for example) it has by the far the highest concentration of curcumin.
Curcumin has been shown to demonstrate a wide range of properties and has been investigated for, amongst other benefits, its antiviral, anticancer and even anti-Alzheimer activities. Although not fully understood, curcumin is thought to inhibit several pathways involved with cancer cell progression, inflammation and build of cellular particles associated with Alzheimers. However, what is well understood about curcumin is its antioxidant properties, and this underlies much of its biological activity, particularly in the hen.
How can Curcumin help hens?
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We have already heard about antioxidant activity in other plants e.g., oregano, and the role of antioxidants in preventing damage to our cells. In the hen, antioxidant activity is important for several reasons. When our birds are stressed e.g., if they have an infection, they could be hot or even just in lay, their cells are working hard. Curcumin helps protects those cells from damage. But we can also see the benefits in the egg, with improved egg quality and lower bacterial counts. Because curcumin is a natural pigment, we can also see more intense yellow egg yolks.
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Inflammation, the immune response to cellular damage, is important for the bird to respond and manage infections, tissue damage, etc. However, sometimes inflammation can last too long or become uncontrolled, leading to sick birds. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties and helps the hen to mount a more controlled inflammatory response, thereby helping the bird to overcome infections quicker. Curcumin acts directly on the inflammatory pathways. By modulating inflammation, curcumin supports the hen to put her energy where it’s needed, into growth and egg production.
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In hens, undesirable bacteria can lead to intestinal upset, poor health, reduced egg production and poor egg quality. Curcumin demonstrated strong antibacterial activities and there are several mechanisms behind this antibacterial activity including disrupting the bacterial membrane and interfering with bacterial replication directly. When fed to hens, curcumin has been shown to lower the level of undesirable bacteria e.g., E. coli, in the gut and eggs, leading to lower incidence of E. coli-associated disease.
Curcumin has several benefits for the hen. It helps her to better cope with the wide range of stresses she experiences during her life, as well as keeping her healthy and productive and providing better quality eggs.
Further reading
Antioxidant requirements for aged hens — Happy Healthy Hens
How can “complementary feeding stuffs” help my hen? — Happy Healthy Hens
References
Brenes, A., and E. Roura. “Essential Oils in Poultry Nutrition: Main Effects and Modes of Action.” Animal feed science and technology 158.1 (2010): 1–14. Web.
