BAU Correspondent
Researchers at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) have developed a neem leaf-based solution that could reduce antibiotic use in broiler farming and help combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Named ‘BAU Safe Vet’, the product is already available in limited quantities through BAU’s Department of Pharmacology, but funding shortages, inadequate equipment and a lack of manpower have prevented large-scale production.
The antibiotic-free solution is the outcome of eight years of research led by Prof Dr Md Shafiqul Islam of the Department of Pharmacology. The research was funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Bangladesh Agricultural University Research System (BAURES).
According to the researchers, the neem-based solution has five beneficial properties, including antibacterial, growth-promoting and immunostimulant effects. It can help control diseases in chickens, improve weight gain and enhance meat quality.
Its use can also reduce the need for other antibiotics, vitamins and minerals, potentially lowering production costs and increasing farmers’ profits. The solution is currently sold by the department at a nominal price per litre. The researchers have also recently secured patent-related benefits for the product.
Prof Dr Md Shafiqul Islam said the phytobiotic solution had been developed to ensure a safe supply of meat for consumers.
“Our research indicates that the solution contains no ingredients harmful to human health or chickens,” he said.
He added that its use had reduced the chicken mortality rate to around one per cent, while the feed conversion ratio (FCR) stood at 1.2.
Despite demand among farmers, inadequate equipment, funding and manpower continue to constrain production. The researchers believe that increased production capacity and commercial marketing could help establish BAU Safe Vet as an alternative to antibiotics in broiler farming and benefit the country's poultry sector.
After tasting broiler meat produced using BAU Safe Vet, Prof Dr Anisuzzaman of BAU’s Department of Medicine said it tasted much like native chicken.
He added that the unusual smell sometimes found in conventional broiler meat was absent, describing the initiative as promising for producing safe meat.
Sharing similar experiences, Prof Dr Harunur Rashid of the Department of Fisheries Management and Prof Dr Masum Ahmad of the Department of Entomology at BAU said broiler meat produced using BAU Safe Vet had an appealing colour and a firmer texture, resembling native chicken meat. They also considered the solution a promising option for producing safe poultry meat. #EK