EFFECT OF DIETARY HERBAL ESSENTIAL OILS ON THE PERFORMANCE AND MEAT QUALITY OF FEMALE TURKEYS BROILERS

Abstract

During the last years, the addition of essential oils to livestock rations became increasingly popular. Numerous studies have proved the antibacterial properties of herbal essential oils (ЕО) along with antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and digestive properties. They are also used as growth promoters of livestock. With this regard, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect from addition of 0.01% essential oils (EO) from Matricaria chamomilla; Rosmarinus officinalis; Lavandula angustifolia; Origanum vulgare; Thymus vulgaris; Hypericum perforatum to the feed of turkey broilers on live body weight, feed consumption, slaughter traits, fatty acid content and meat quality. Female turkey broilers, were divided into 7 groups of 15 birds in each after being weighed and labelled (each group comprised 3 subgroups of 5 birds). Groups were one control (С) and six experimental (Т1, Т2, Т3, Т4, Т5, Т6). The control (С) group of turkeys received feed according to the requirements of their age without herbal essential oils. The experimental groups received the same diet supplemented as followed: group Т1- 0.01% EO from Matricaria chamomilla; Т2- 0.01% EO from Rosmarinus officinalis; Т3- 0.01% EO from Lavandula angustifolia; Т4-0.01% EO from Origanum vulgare; Т5- 0.01% EO from Thymus vulgaris; Т6- 0.01% EO from Hypericum perforatum). The addition of 0.01% ЕО of abovementioned herbs influences breast and thigh meat pH measured at 24th post mortem hour (pH24) (Р<0.05). The highest value L* in breast meat was demonstrated in birds supplemented with EO from Lavandula angustifolia (T3) and lowest L* in group T5 at (Р<0.05). The highest value L* in thigh meat was measured in birds from group Т2 (ЕО from Rosmarinus officinalis) and the lowest- in group Т5 (ЕО from Thymus vulgaris). The redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) of breast meat did not differ significantly among the groups (Р>0.05), yet a* and b* values showed considerable differences in thigh meat (Р<0.05). The dietary EO also had an effect on thigh meat L*, a* and b* - parameters of meat colour. Cooking loss % of breast meat was the highest in the control group- 35.12% and the lowest in group Т5 (Thymus vulgaris EO) - 23.69% and group Т6 (Hypericum perforatum EO) - 24.78% (Р<0.001). The addition of herbal ЕО to the ration of turkey broilers did not influence the content of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid, ά-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) of breast and thigh meat of birds from experimental groups.