MINT, from the School of Botanicals

Mint is a genus of plants that grow as an aromatic perennial herb and has traditionally been used in cooking, cosmetics, and as an alternative or a complementary ingredient in medicine.  But also used in the famous candy cane which is shaped to look like a shepherd’s staff.

Mint leaves typically contain 1.2–4 % of essential oils, with more than 300 identified compounds.
Menthol is the major compound, followed by menthone, menthyl acetate, 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol), and many more. The chemical composition of mint leaves may vary with the geographical region, weather conditions until harvest, and processing conditions.

Mint is commonly used in human and animal medicine and is particularly beneficial in supporting the immune system (even against certain viruses), for its antimicrobial effect, strong antioxidant properties, as well as its ability to enhance appetite. And the synergy of essential oils has shown that boost the effect and benefits of the single components, therefore a combination of essential oils is always preferred over one single extracted oil.

There are multiple field trials showing the benefits of plants of the Mint genus in poultry production. The benefits are directly related to the nutrition of the animals showing that the active compounds can work as a growth promoter in the early stages of broilers production, and can improve egg quality, egg mass and weight in layer farming. Not only production is improved, but the addition of mint in the diet has also shown to have an effect on ammonia production; improving the air conditions at the farm level.

In XVET, we count on two of our start products that contain Mint Oil as part of a blend of essential oils: Aromax and Aromax Dry. These two products support the respiratory system of the animal, help to have a better immune response after vaccination and work as non-antibiotic growth promotors; improving the performance of the animal at diverse levels.