Effect of thymol and carvacrol feed supplementation on performance, antioxidant enzyme activities, fatty acid composition, digestive enzyme activities, and immune response in broiler chickens

• Published in: Poultry science 2013-08, Vol.92 (8), p.2059-2069
• Main Authors: Hashemipour, H, Kermanshahi, H, Golian, A, Veldkamp, T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2 plant-extracts; Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Antioxidants - metabolism; Chickens - growth & development; Chickens - immunology; Chickens - metabolism; Cymenes; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Supplements; digestibility; Fatty Acids - chemistry; Fatty Acids - metabolism; growth-performance; lipid-metabolism; Lipids - chemistry; Male; meat; microflora; Monoterpenes - administration & dosage; Monoterpenes - pharmacology; Muscle, Skeletal; oregano essential oil; population; serum; Thymol - administration & dosage; Thymol - pharmacology; vitamin-e
• ISSN: 0032-5791; 1525-3171
• DOI: 10.3382/ps.2012-02685

This trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of phytogenic product containing an equal mixture of thymol and carvacrol at 4 levels (0, 60, 100, and 200 mg/kg of diet) on performance, antioxidant enzyme activities, fatty acid composition, digestive enzyme activities, and immune response in broiler chickens. Each of the 4 diets was fed to 5 replicates of 12 chicks each from d 0 to 42. The inclusion of thymol + carvacrol linearly decreased (P < 0.05) feed intake, but the highest (P < 0.05) BW gain (ADG) and feed efficiency was observed in broilers offered 200 mg/kg of phytogenic product. The phytogenic product linearly increased (P < 0.05) superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and decreased (P < 0.05) malondialdehyde level in thigh muscle at d 42 and serum and liver at d 24 and 42. Total saturated fatty acids were depressed (P < 0.05) and total polyunsaturated fatty acid and n-6 were linearly increased (P < 0.05) in serum and thigh by the inclusion of phytogenic product compared with the control diet. Supplementation with thymol + carvacrol also increased intestinal and pancreatic trypsin, lipase, and protease activities in 24-d-old (linear, P < 0.05) but not in 42-d-old birds. Thymol + carvacrol modified (linear, P < 0.05) immune response by increasing hypersensitivity response, total and IgG anti-sheep red blood cell titers, and decreasing heterophil to lymphocyte ratio compared with the control group. However, hematological parameters and lymphoid organ weight were not affected by thymol + carvacrol. Thus, feed supplementation with thymol + carvacrol enhanced performance, increased antioxidant enzyme activities, retarded lipid oxidation, enhanced digestive enzyme activities, and improved immune response of broilers.