What is WILLOW BARK (SALICYN) and how does it work in a hen?
Willow bark comes from several varieties of willow tree, including black (Salix nigra or pussy), white (Salix alba or European) and purple willow. Bark extracts were used medicinally in the ancient world, in South America, Egypt, Classical Greece and China. Hippocrates was aware of the use of willow bark to treat inflammatory pain in 400 BC.
The main active ingredient in willow bark is salicin or salicylic acid. If salicylic acid sounds familiar, that is because it is a precursor of acetylsalicylic acid, otherwise known as aspirin. Willow bark also contains polyphenols and condensed tannins. When salicin is ingested, the gut microflora converts it to saligenin where it is absorbed by the gut. In the liver, saligenin is metabolized to salicylic acid.
How can Salicyn help hens?
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Like aspirin, salicin has anti-inflammatory properties. In chickens, salicin has been shown to lower cell signals associated with increasing inflammation. Whilst inflammation is a key component of the immune response, excess inflammation becomes detrimental to the bird. Consequently, salicin can help the hen to manage its inflammatory responses, ensuring that immune responses do not spiral out of control and become a health problem.
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Willow bark has strong antioxidant properties due to the presence of polyphenols. As we have seen with other plant compounds with antioxidant activity, willow bark can lower the impact of stress on the hen. This antioxidant activity also contributes to the anti-inflammatory properties of willow bark, supports the hen’s response to infections and other immune challenges. Willow bark can also lower the level of undesirable bacteria in the gut, reducing the risk of bacterial contamination of eggs.
Willow bark has been used for centuries as a natural anti-inflammatory. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of willow bark make it an ideal partner in programmes to manage immunity and stress in hens to keep your birds in optimum condition.
Further reading
How can “complementary feeding stuffs” help my hen? — Happy Healthy Hens
Antioxidant requirements for aged hens — Happy Healthy Hens
References
Brenes, A., and E. Roura. “Essential Oils in Poultry Nutrition: Main Effects and Modes of Action.” Animal feed science and technology 158.1 (2010): 1–14. Web.
