Advances in Research

Successful chicken production methods strive to maximize meat, egg, or offspring yield while fulfilling consumer expectations for product quality. Despite being maintained under managed settings, poultry are regularly subjected to a range of stressors, including hatching, transit from hatcheries to farms, vaccination processes, mycotoxin contamination of feed ingredients, and transportation to slaughterhouses. These stressors can adversely affect immune function, productivity, reproductive performance, and the yield and quality of meat and eggs. Curcumin (Cur), a polyphenolic bioactive compound derived from turmeric (Curcuma spp.), has gained considerable attention as a natural feed additive in poultry nutrition. Curcumin's antioxidant capabilities are largely due to its unique chemical structure, which allows it to scavenge free radicals and minimize oxidative stress. Dietary supplementation of curcumin has been reported to improve meat quality traits, including color stability and polyunsaturated fatty acid content, while simultaneously reducing drip loss and malondialdehyde concentration in muscle tissues. In laying poultry, curcumin supplementation has been shown to enhance egg quality parameters such as eggshell strength, yolk color, Haugh unit score, and yolk concentrations of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, along with increased deposition of curcumin in the yolk. Curcumin has also been demonstrated to modulate physiological stress responses in poultry by stimulating serotonin secretion and suppressing the production of heat shock protein 70 and corticosterone under stress conditions. Through these mechanisms, curcumin enhances immune competence, improves vaccine responsiveness, and reduces disease susceptibility. Several studies have reported increased body weight gain in broiler chickens, particularly during the early growth phase (1–14 days of age), following dietary inclusion of turmeric powder.

These findings suggest that curcumin holds significant potential as a phytogenic feed additive and represents a promising natural alternative to conventional growth promoters in poultry production. However, further research is required to determine the most effective form, dosage, and method of supplementation to optimize its benefits. The present manuscript synthesizes existing literature on the role of turmeric and curcumin in improving broiler performance and blood biochemical parameters, elucidates possible mechanisms of action, and highlights turmeric as a valuable phytogenic feed additive for sustainable poultry production.