author(s)
Sonali Namdeo, RPS Baghel, Sunil Nayak, Ankur Khare, Ravi Prakash Pal, Amit Chaurasiya, Sahil Thakur and BVV Reddy

abstract
Essential oil (EO) is a complex mixture of fragrant volatile compounds obtained from plants and isolated through various methods like fermentation, extraction and steam distillation. Essential oils consist of two classes of compounds, i.e. terpenes and phenylpropenes. Differences between essential oils mainly depend on several variables, such as plant species, physical and chemical soil conditions, harvest time, degree of plant maturity, technology of drying, duration of storage and extraction processes. In broiler production, EO has potential for possible therapeutic exploitation in variety of conditions. These have antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiviral properties. Besides, other beneficial effects of EOs include appetite stimulation, improvement of enzyme secretion related to food digestion, and immune response activation. Along with acting as an antioxidant for animal it also extends storage time of feed and meat in which it is incorporated due to its antioxidant property. Hence, many researches have been carried out across the world with possible cocktail and combinations of these essential oils or crude extracts of their bioactive principles to explore the multifaceted eminence of these feed additives. This review briefly elucidates the role of essential oils on the development of poultry industry.