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The effects of nanoencapsulated cumin essential oil (EO) feeding broilers on growth performance, mucin 2 gene expression, blood parameters, and immune responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) were evaluated. In a completely randomized design, 1050 male day-old Ross 308 broilers were distributed into 7 dietary treatments with 5 replicates of 30 birds per replication. Dietary treatments included 1) control basal (no additives), 2) control antibiotic growth promoter (flavophospholipol at 650 mg/kg), control basal plus a solution of 3) 150 mg/kg of chitosan nanoparticles, free-form cumin EO at 4) 100 or 5) 200 mg/kg, and nanoencapsulated cumin EO at 6) 100 and 7) 200 mg/kg. The use of 200 mg/kg nanoencapsulated cumin EO significantly (P < 0.01) increased body weight gain and mucin 2 gene expression and improved feed conversion ratio compared with other treatment. The highest feed intake was significantly (P < 0.01) in the control treatment during day 15 to 18 and day 29 to 42. In birds fed with nanoencapsulated cumin EO, serum total triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were also significantly lower than birds in the control group. Sheep red blood cell antibody titer (35 and 42 d), immunoglobulin G (42 d), heterophilus (H), lymphocyte (L), and H/L ratio, PHA, and DNCB (42 d) were affected by the nanoencapsulation process of cumin EO (P < 0.01). Finally, cumin EO in nanoencapsulation significantly improved growth performance, mucin 2 gene expression and sustained broiler immune responses and therefore could be used as substitute for antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]