Olive bioactives: Helping broilers beat the heat

Heat stress remains a major challenge in broiler production, compromising performance, immunity, and welfare. As gut health is closely linked to animal resilience, nutritional strategies based on olive bioactives — rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds — are emerging as promising tools to help broilers better cope with high temperatures.

HEAT STRESS: A MAJOR CHALLENGE IN BROILER PRODUCTION
Modern broilers are genetically selected for rapid growth and high feed efficiency. However, this also makes them particularly sensitive to thermal stress. Under hot environmental conditions, birds reduce feed intake in an attempt to decrease metabolic heat production. As a consequence, growth rate declines, feed conversion worsens, and immune competence may become compromised.

At the same time, heat stress increases oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, negatively affecting gut integrity, welfare and meat quality. As global temperatures continue to rise, the poultry industry is increasingly searching for practical and sustainable nutritional strategies capable of improving bird resilience under challenging conditions.

OLIVE BIOACTIVES AS FUNCTIONAL
FEED ADDITIVES
Olive oil industry by-products are rich in a wide range of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, secoiridoids, and triterpenic acids such as hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, and maslinic acid. These olive bioactives are well known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and hepatoprotective properties. In animal nutrition, they are increasingly valued for their ability to support gut integrity, immune function, oxidative balance, and overall animal robustness. In addition to their functional benefits, olive bioactives also contribute to more sustainable and circular production systems through the valorization of agro-industrial by-products.

EVALUATING OLIVE BIOACTIVES UNDER HEAT STRESS CONDITIONS
A recent study conducted by Kasetsart University (Thailand) in collaboration with Lucta evaluated the effects of olive bioactives (OBs) on broiler chickens raised under heat stress conditions. The research investigated not only growth performance, but also immune parameters, intestinal integrity, animal welfare indicators, and meat quality characteristics. The objective was to determine whether OBs could improve bird performance and resilience under heat stress conditions with and without the presence of salinomycin.

The trial involved 1,000 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers exposed to high ambient temperatures and humidity throughout the experimental period. Animals were distributed in 4 experimental treatments with ten replicates each (25 birds/replicate) using a 2 × 2 factorial design with two levels of OBs (0 or 1,200 ppm) and two levels of salinomycin (SAL; 0 or 66 ppm). Feed and water were provided ad libitum for 40 days. Temperature-humidity index values remained above 80 during most of the study, confirming significant heat stress conditions.

BETTER PERFORMANCE UNDER
CHALLENGING CONDITIONS
One of the most relevant findings was the positive effect of OBs on broiler growth performance, independently of the presence of salinomycin. Birds receiving OBs showed higher body weight and body weight gain compared to the control group (Figure 1a), with no changes in feed intake, resulting in lower feed conversion ratio during the overall period (Figure 1b). Moreover, mortality of the birds receiving OBs was significantly lower (Figure 1c).

SUPPORTING IMMUNE BALANCE
Heat stress not only affects performance but also disrupts immune homeostasis. In poultry, the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio) is widely used as an indicator of physiological stress. Higher H/L ratios generally reflect elevated stress and inflammatory status. Broilers supplemented with OBs reduced H/L ratios compared to the non-supplemented group (2.28 vs 2.63, P < 0.01). These findings indicate improved immune balance.

WELFARE BENEFITS: FEWER FOOTPAD LESIONS
Footpad dermatitis is one of the most relevant welfare indicators in broiler production and is often associated with litter quality and digestive disturbances. In this study, birds receiving OBs showed fewer footpad lesions.

IMPROVING MEAT QUALITY NATURALLY
One of the most interesting aspects of olive bioactives is their impact on meat quality. Broilers supplemented with OBs showed lower drip loss (Figure 2a) and reduced lipid oxidation in breast meat (TBARS, Figure 2b). From a commercial perspective, this means improved water-holding capacity, better oxidative stability, and potentially longer shelf life. The study also reported increases in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids in birds supplemented with olive pomace extract. This suggests potential benefits not only for animal resilience but also for the nutritional value of poultry meat.

CONCLUSIONS
Olive bioactives show strong potential as a natural nutritional strategy to help broilers better cope with heat stress. By supporting performance, immune balance, welfare, and meat quality, these compounds may contribute to more resilient and sustainable poultry production systems.

Source: Adapted from Philatha et al., 2026 (Poultry Science 105:106266)

About Dr. Marta Blanch
Dr. Marta Blanch holds a PhD in Animal Production (2009) and a degree in Veterinary Medicine (2003) from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. She brings nearly 20 years of experience in livestock nutrition, gained through her work in both public research institutions and the private industry. She has been part of Lucta since 2016 and currently serves as Innovation Poultry and Ruminants Team Leader, leading research and innovation activities focused on the development of novel feed additives for animal production. Her main areas of expertise include palatability, gut health, production efficiency, and animal welfare, with a strong focus on translating scientific knowledge into practical, innovative, and market-oriented solutions for the livestock industry.

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