Essential Oil Group Research Articles

Improving Egg Production, Quality and Eggshell Hygiene by Supplementation of Sage (Salvia officinalis) and Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oils

ABSTRACT Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the effects of sage (Salvia officinalis) and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oils (EO) supplementation into drinking water on egg production, quality and eggshell hygiene in laying hens. Material and Methods: A total of 300 Nick Brown laying hens between 30 and 38 of age were used in a completely randomized design in three treatments and ten replicates. The treatments consisted of: control group, sage EO, lavender EO supplementation group. EOs were supplemented into drinking water (0.3 mL/L). Results: A lower value of egg production, egg weight, egg mass and deteriorations in feed efficiency, eggshell breaking strength and thickness were observed in lavender EO group (P

Physico-chemical characteristics of meat after dietary supplementation of lambs with essential oils and calcium malate

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a mixture of essential oils (EO), calcium malate (CM), or their combination (EO + CM) on the physico-chemical characteristics of lamb meat. A total of 36, two-month-old, 20 ± 3 kg live weight, male lambs were allocated to individual cages and randomly distributed into four treatment groups: 1, basal diet (BD); 2, BD + 150 g of EO ton-1 ; 3, BD + 2.5 kg of CM ton-1 ; and 4: BD + 150 g EO + 2.5 kg CM ton-1 . Feed and fresh water were available ad libitum to the lambs during the 56-day experiment. There was no difference in the chemical composition of the lamb meat although collagen was higher in the EO + CM treatment. The percentage of omega-3 and eicosapentaenoic acid was higher in the OE + CM group, but there were no differences in the total percentage of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids. The shear strength of raw meat was higher in the BD group, but the shear strength of cooked meat was lower in the EO group than in the BD or CM groups. There was no difference in water retention in raw meat or in water loss in cooked meat between groups. The colour of the meat was not affected by treatment. The EO and EO + CM groups had an increase in meat tenderness and the concentration of some unsaturated fatty acids, but this did not affect the colour or chemical composition of the lamb meat.

Effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Postbiotics and Essential Oil on Growth Performance and Intestinal Health of Weanling Pigs During K88 ETEC Infection.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the major bacterial infections, causing substantial economic losses globally in the swine industry. This study aimed to investigate the impact of low Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation postbiotics (SCFP), high SCFP, essential oil (EO), or their combination on the growth performance and health of weanling pigs during ETEC infection. Forty-eight male weanling pigs were randomly allocated to five groups: 1) control group (CON-basal diet, n = 16); 2) low SCFP group (LSC-basal diet + 1.25g/kg SCFP, n = 8); 3) high SCFP group (HSC-basal diet + 2g/kg SCFP, n = 8); 4) essential oil group (EO-basal diet + 0.4g/kg EO, n = 8); 5) the SCFP and EO combination group (SE-basal diet + 1.25g/kg SCFP + 0.4g/kg EO, n = 8). On day 15 of the trial, pigs in CON were divided into positive control (PC) and negative control (NC), and all pigs, except in NC, were challenged with ETEC. Under the normal condition, dietary LSC, HSC, EO, and EO all increased average daily gain (ADG) (P < 0.05), and decreased F:G ratio (P < 0.05) accompanied by decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and increases in catalase (CAT), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) indicating enhanced anti-oxidative capacity, as well as decreased IL-2, IL-8, INF-γ, indicating mitigated systemic inflammation. During ETEC infection, all treatments alleviated ETEC-induced ADG reduction, diarrhea, damages in intestinal permeability and morphology, and down-regulation of tight junctions (Claudin1, ZO-1, and Occludin), while HSC and EO exhibited additional protections. All treatments increased CAT, T-SOD, and T-AOC, and decreased MDA in serum and jejunal mucosa at similar degrees (P < 0.05). Moreover, all treatments alleviated ETEC-induced inflammation as shown by decreased IL-6, TNF-α, INF-γ, and increased IL-4 and IL-10 in serum or jejunal mucosa (P < 0.05), and enhanced the immunity by increased serum IgG and mucosal sIgA (P < 0.05). HSC and SE further reduced mucosal INF-γ and TNF-α than LSC or EO aligning with their additional protection against diarrhea during ETEC infection. Additionally, the key gut bacteria (e.g., Terrisporobacter) related to the benefits of SCFP and EO were identified. In sum, all treatments enhanced growth performance and protected against ETEC-induced intestinal damage through the regulation of redox and immune homeostasis. HSP and SE offered extra protection during disease for their additional control of inflammation. Our study provided new insight into the use of feed additives in the context of animal health states.

Essential oil supplementation in milk replacers: short- and long-term impacts on feed efficiency, the faecal microbiota and the plasma metabolome in dairy calves.

Early supplementation with oregano essential oil (EO) in milk replacer (MR) may improve growth, immune responses, the microbiota and the metabolome in dairy calves during pre-weaning and in adulthood. Sixteen female dairy calves (3 days of age) were divided in two groups (n = 8/group): the control group (no EO) and the EO group (0.23 ml of EO in MR during 45 days). After weaning, calves were kept in a feedlot and fed ad libitum. The animals were weighed, and blood and faecal samples were collected on days 3 (T0), 45 (T1) and 370 (T2) to measure the biochemical profile and characterise peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs; CD4+, CD8+, CD14+, CD21+ and WC1+), the metabolome and microbiota composition. The EO group only had greater average daily weight gain during the suckling (EO supplementation) period (P = 0.030). The EO group showed higher average CD14+ population (monocytes) values, a lower abundance of Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, Faecalibacterium, Blautia and Alloprevotella and increased abundances of Allistipes and Akkermansia. The modification of some metabolites in plasma, such as butyric acid, 3-indole-propionic acid and succinic acid, particularly at T1, are consistent with intestinal microbiota changes. The data suggest that early EO supplementation increases feed efficiency only during the suckling period with notable changes in the microbiota and plasma metabolome; however, not all of these changes can be considered desirable from a gut health point of view. Additional research studies is required to demonstrate that EOs are a viable natural alternative to antibiotics for improving calf growth performance and health.

Gas sensor-based machine learning approaches for characterizing tarragon aroma and essential oil under various drying conditions

Aroma is one of the most significant quality traits for many pharmaceutical plants and their products as it indicates the quality of the raw material. The aroma may be lowered to imperceptible levels, altered, or damaged during the processing of herbs, such as drying or fermentation. Using an electronic nose (e-nose) is one of the most efficient approaches for identifying and evaluating the aroma of essential oils (EO). In this study, tarragon was dried in a hybrid dryer designed explicitly for frying the herbs at four temperatures (40, 50, 60, and 70 °C) and three air velocities (1, 1.5, and 2 m/s). After extracting its EO, the purity of the tarragon EO was assessed by an e-nose comprising nine metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors. The highest EO levels (0.359) was obtained upon drying at 40 °C. By increasing the temperature from 40° to 70°C, the EO was declined, and its lowest level (0.26) was assessed at 70 °C. multivariate data analysis and artificial neural networks modeling were also employed to quantify and classify the obtained EOs based on the output of the sensor. Multivariate discrimination analysis (MDA) and Quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) offered a 100 % accuracy in classifying 12 groups of EO.

51 Evaluation of the Effects of a Single Intranasal Dose of Essential oil Spray on the Nasopharyngeal Microbiota of Feedlot Cattle: A Pilot Study

Abstract Five essential oils (EO) were previously characterized in vitro and identified as candidates for the development of an intranasal EO spray to inhibit the colonization and proliferation of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pathogens, especially at feedlot entry when cattle are most susceptible to BRD. In the present pilot study, these EO were evaluated for their potential to reduce BRD pathogens and to modulate nasopharyngeal microbiota in feedlot cattle. Angus-crossbred calves [n = 40; 7to 8 months old; initial BW = 284 ± 5 kg (SE)] received either an intranasal EO spray consisting of ajowan, thyme, fennel, cinnamon leaf, and citronella (0.025%, vol/vol per EO) suspended in PBS (3 mL per nostril) or PBS (Control) on day (d) 0. Deep nasopharyngeal swabs were collected on d -1 (24 h before EO administration), 1, 2, 7, 14, 28, and 42, and processed for microbiota characterization using 16S rRNA gene. The calves that received EO had similar feed intake (P = 0.62) and average daily gain (P = 0.37) than control calves. Overall bacterial concentration estimated by qPCR was greater in control (P =0.049) than EO group, with EO group having reduced bacterial concentration on d 2 (P = 0.01) and d 7 (P=0.07). Sequencing results revealed that overall community structure of nasopharyngeal microbiota was different between EO and control calves (PERMANOVA: R2 = 0.01, P = 0.02), and was strongly affected by time (R2 = 0.1, P = 0.001). Within individual sampling day, the effect of EO on community structure was only detected on d 1 (R2 = 0.05, P = 0.03). Microbial richness (observed ASVs) and diversity (Shannon and Inverse Simpson) were not different between the two groups (P ≥ 0.17). The effect of EO on the most dominant phyla was observed (P ≤ 0.05) with Proteobacteria (d14), Firmicutes (d1, 14), Actinobacteriota (d14), and Bacteroidota (d2, 14). Among the predominant genera: Moraxella, Ralstonia, Mycoplasma, Mannheimia, Filobacterium, Pseudomonas, Pasteurella, and Corynebacterium, the abundance of Mannheimia (4.34% vs. 10.4%) and Filobacterium (2.53% vs. 11.9%) were reduced (P &amp;lt; 0.05) by EO on d 2. In control calves, Mannheimia was enriched by 3.9-fold (P &amp;lt; 0.05) from d -1 (2.66%) to d 2 (10.4%), whereas it remained constant in EO calves (P &amp;gt; 0.05) between these days (2.23% and 4.34%). Corynebacterium was also decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.05) in EO calves on d 1 (1.06% vs. 2.58%). The BRD-associated Histophilus genus was low (mean 0.02%), so EO effect was not assessed. Overall, a single dose of intranasal EO spray modulated nasopharyngeal microbiota and reduced the abundance of Mannheimia within 48 h post administration while having no effect on feed intake and daily gain. Our study highlights that nasally dosing EO may modulate respiratory microbiota and potentially mitigate bovine respiratory disease in finishing cattle.

In silico molecular modeling, neuro-behavioral profile, and toxicity assessment of the essential oil of Ferula gummosa Boiss. as an anti-seizure agent.

Ferula gummosa Boiss., known in Persian as "Baridje," belongs to the Apiaceae family. All parts of this plant, especially the root, contain galbanum. Galbanum, the oleo-gum resin of F. gummosa, is one of the essential traditional herbal medicines in Iran, which is used as a tonic for epilepsy and chorea, memory enhancement, gastrointestinal diseases, and wound healing. We investigated the toxicity, anticonvulsant effects, and molecular modeling of the essential oil (EO) distilled from the oleo-gum resin of F. gummosa. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to identify the EO components. The cytotoxicity of EO on HepG2 cell lines was assessed by the MTT method. Male mice were arranged as follows: negative control groups (sunflower oil (10ml/kg, i.p.) or saline (10ml/kg, p.o.)), EO groups (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2.5ml/kg, p.o.), and positive control groups (ethosuximide (150mg/kg, p.o.) or diazepam (1.0 or 2mg/kg, i.p.)). The motor coordination and neurotoxicity of EO were studied using the rota-rod test. Open-field, novel object recognition, and passive avoidance learning tests were used to investigate the effect of EO on locomotor activity and memory function. An acute pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure model was utilized to evaluate the anticonvulsant properties of the EO. The interaction of the EO main components with the GABAA receptor was investigated by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. β-pinene, sabinene, α-pinene, and ρ-cymene were the main components of EO. The IC50 of the EO at 24, 48, and 72h was found to be 59.90, 12.96, and 3.93μl/ml, respectively. No adverse effects were observed in memory, motor coordination, and locomotor activity in mice treated with EO. Administration of EO (1, 1.5, and 2.5ml/kg) improved survival rates in mice receiving pentylenetetrazole (PTZ; to induce an epileptic seizure). Sabinene was able to bind to the binding site of benzodiazepines at the GABAA receptor. Acute treatment with the EO of F. gummosa caused antiepileptic effects and could effectively increase the survival rate in PTZ-treated mice with no significant toxicity.

The purification of dominant spoilage fungi on Lonicera Caeruleum and the inhibitory effects of composite essential oils against these fungi

The fungal inhibitory and preservative effects of essential oils (EOs) on the dominant spoilage fungi of blue honeysuckle were investigated. First, the dominant spoilage fungi (CW1, CW3, and W53) were isolated from naturally infected blue honeysuckle and identified through morphological features, inoculation study, and rDNA-ITS analysis were matched to Alternaria alternata, Metuloidea reniformis, and Rhizopus microsporus, respectively. Next, the filter paper method determined the sensitivity of EOs to the dominant spoilage fungi, and four kinds with better antifungal effects were screened out. Two or three combinations of four EOs were evaluated using a checkerboard analysis method. The fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) was used to assess the interactions between the combinations. The combinations of cinnamon/oregano, cinnamon/clove, oregano/clove, and cinnamon/oregano/clove showed synergistic effects (FICI ≤0.5). The best three-oil combination had a volume ratio of 31:8:8 compared to a single oil. Finally, in vivo, experiments showed that combining triple groups of EOs could prevent the spoilage of postharvest honeysuckle. Compared with the control group, the triple groups of essential oil combination maintained the best color, quality, and flavor of blue honeysuckle berries. At the same time, the spoilage rate and the weight loss rate were reduced by 38.50% and 40.71%, respectively. Delayed spoilage time to 3–5 days and the preservation effect of blue honeysuckle was extended to 16 days. Therefore, this study provides a theoretical basis for substituting chemical preservatives and highlights the potential of using complex EOs to prolong the freshness of blue honeysuckle.

The Effect of an Essential Oil Blend on Growth Performance, Intestinal Health, and Microbiota in Early-Weaned Piglets.

Essential oils (EO) are promising feed additives for their antibacterial, antioxidant, and immune-enhancing abilities with low toxicity. Carvacrol, thymol, and cinnamaldehyde are commonly used to synthesize EO. However, few studies focus on combining these three EO in early-weaned piglets. In the present study, 24 piglets weaned at 21 d of age were randomly divided into 2 groups (6 replicate pens per group, 2 piglets per pen). The piglets were fed a basal diet (the control group) and a basal diet supplemented with 400 mg/kg EO (a blend consisting of carvacrol, thymol, and cinnamaldehyde, the EO group) for 28 days. At the end of the experiment, one piglet per pen was randomly chosen to be sacrificed. Growth performance, hematology, plasma biochemical indices, antioxidant capacity, intestinal epithelial development and immunity, colonic volatile fatty acids (VFA), and microbiota were determined. The results indicated that the diet supplemented with EO significantly improved average daily feed intake (ADFI, p < 0.01) and average daily gain (ADG, p < 0.05) in the day 0 to 28 period. EO supplementation led to a significant decrease in plasma lysozyme (p < 0.05) and cortisol levels (p < 0.01). Additionally, EO significantly promoted jejunal goblet cells in the villus, jejunal mucosa ZO-1 mRNA expression, ileal villus height, and ileal villus height/crypt depth ratio in piglets (p < 0.05). The ileal mucosal TLR4 and NFκB p-p65/p65 protein expression were significantly inhibited in the EO group (p < 0.05). Colonic digesta microbiota analysis revealed that bacteria involving the Erysipelotrichaceae family, Holdemanella genus, Phascolarctobacterium genus, and Vibrio genus were enriched in the EO group. In conclusion, these findings indicate that the EO blend improves ADG and ADFI in the day 0 to 28 period, as well as intestinal epithelial development and intestinal immunity in early-weaned piglets, which provides a theoretical basis for the combined use of EO in weaned piglets.

Effects of some postharvest essential oil applications on the fruit quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) during cold storage

The effects of post-harvest rosemary and sage essential oils (EO) (0, 300, 600, 900 ppm) on the storage period and fruit quality of ‘Sentino F1’ tomatoes were investigated. Tomato fruits were stored at 5 °C and 90-95% relative humidity (RH)) and at +20 °C and 60-65% RH for 30 days. Physical and biochemical analyzes were performed every 5 days during cold storage and at the end of the 2-day shelf life of the samples removed from the cold storage. In conclusion, it was determined that all application groups of sage and rosemary EOs were more effective in maintaining the quality of tomato fruits compared to the control application. The most effective application of sage EO was determined as 600 ppm and 900 ppm doses.

Larvicidal Activity of Calcium Alginate Microcapsules Containing Clove Essential Oil Obtained by Microfluidics

Essential oils (EO) have diverse applications, such as antibacterial and antifungal activity. However, they are susceptible to oxidation in the presence of air, light, and moisture. In addition, they are thermally unstable. In this sense, it is necessary to develop techniques to increase the lifespan of EO. In this work, EO was obtained from cloves and characterized by different techniques. The major compounds found were eugenol (83%), eugenol acetate (9%), and β-caryophyllene (8%). The EO was encapsulated by extrusion using a microfluidic device. The sodium alginate was used as wall material, and the CaCl2 solution was used as a crosslinking agent. The microcapsule presented sizes of 164.7 ± 0.3 µm, with an encapsulation yield of 64 ± 14%. Functional characteristic groups of EO were observed in the microcapsule by infrared and Raman spectroscopies. The microcapsule increased the thermal decomposition of the EO from 162 to 230 °C. Release kinetics of the capsule was performed, with an equilibrium time of 72 h and release of 54% of the EO. Finally, the pure EO and encapsulated EO-microcapsules were applied in the Aedes aegypti larvae control, showing mean lethal concentration necessary to eliminate 50% (LC50) values of 74.4 and 96.9 µg mL-1 and lethal concentration necessary to eliminate 90% (LC90) of 106.2 and 133.3 µg mL-1 for pure EO and encapsulated EO, respectively. Therefore, it was concluded that these microcapsules have the potential for application in the Aedes aegypti larvae control.

Effects of Dietary Essential Oils Supplementation on Egg Quality, Biochemical Parameters, and Gut Microbiota of Late-Laying Hens.

Simple SummaryImproving the laying cycle of laying hens and improving the quality of eggs has always been the goal pursued by the laying hen industry. As a potential green and healthy feed additive, plant essential oil has important research significance. The results of this experiment suggest that plant essential oils may improve the egg quality of Dawu Golden Phoenix laying hens by affecting cecal flora and serum biochemical indexes. As far as we know, there are few studies on the effects of plant essential oils on cecal flora, serum biochemical indicators and their relationship with egg-laying performance.The objective of this study was to explore the effects of adding essential oils (EO) to diets on egg quality, biochemical parameters and intestinal flora of late laying hens. The number of 252 Dawu Golden Phoenix laying hens (55 weeks old) were randomly sorted into two groups: the control group (CG) fed a basal diet and the EO group fed a basal diet with 300 mg/kg of essential oils. The average egg weight, feed-to-egg ratio, and egg production rate were determined every week. The trial started at week 55 and lasted for 8 weeks. During the experiment’s last week, 36 eggs out of each group were chosen at random to test. In our study, dietary supplementation with EO considerably decreased the egg breaking rate (p = 0.01) and increased the shell-breaking strength (p = 0.04). The treatment group’s alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were considerably lower than those of the control group (p = 0.03). The EO group had substantially higher total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) (p = 0.04 and p =0.03, respectively). However, there were no differences in alpha diversity indicators between the two groups. It is worth noting that Firmicutes were increased considerably (p < 0.05), while Spirochaetota and Proteobacteria were significantly reduced in the EO group. At genus levels, the EO supplementation increased the relative abundance of Intestinimonas (p < 0.05) and Megamonas (p < 0.01). In conclusion, a dietary supplementation of 300 mg/kg EO can improve the production performance of laying hens and the egg quality. It can also regulate the abundance of cecal flora and serum biochemical indicators.

Effect of dietary oregano essential oil and milk replacer on physiological status and immunological responses of pre- and post-weaned Ghoongroo piglets

Ghoongroo pigs have good adaptability in a low input production system with high prolificacy. The present study was conducted on pre-and post-weaned Ghoongroo piglets from 2–3 days to 12 weeks of age to evaluate the effect of a milk replacer and oregano essential oil (EO) on growth, physiological and immunological responses. Thirty six piglets were randomly divided into three groups. The control group (n = 12) was allowed to suck mother’s milk. Second group piglets were provided milk replacer (MR) and piglets of the third group were provided milk replacer along with oregano EO at 500 mg/kg diet. After weaning, piglets were provided standard concentrate diets. The results showed that the body weight in MR and MR + EO groups were significantly higher compared with the control. The MR + EO group had better intestinal microbiota, greater nonspecific innate immunity with the phagocytosis efficacy of neutrophils, lower cortisol concentration and more stable thyroid hormones than the other groups. The better haematological status supported the rapid organ development and improved intestinal health status in both the experimental groups. In conclusion, milk replacer, especially with the inclusion of oregano EO, can lower weaning stress, enhance nonspecific immunity and improve growth and health status of piglets.

Extraction, Chemical Composition, and Protective Effect of Essential Oil from Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. Leaves on Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis in Mice.

In this study, the essential oil (EO) was extracted by steam distillation from Chimonanthus nitens Oliv, and the extraction process was optimized by response surface methodology. The optimum process conditions are as follows: extraction time of 4.57 h, soaking time of 1.33 h, and solid-liquid ratio of 1 : 21.4. Under these conditions, the theoretical yield of EO is 1.5624%. The EO compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 52 chemical components were detected, among which the content of 3-(4,8-dimethylnona-3,7-dienyl)-furan was the highest, accounting for 21.43% of the total peak area. The EO showed good antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and reducing power. In this study, we observed the protective effect of EO on ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in mice. EO effectively delayed weight loss and reduced DAI score. Histological examination also observed a significant reduction in damage in the EO group. The colon length of mice in DSS group was the shortest, and the colon length of mice in EO treatment group was longer than that in model group, but shorter than that in normal group (NOR : 8.17 ± 0.39 cm; DSS : 5.57 ± 0.93 cm; L − EO : 6.47 ± 0.78 cm; M − EO : 5.98 ± 0.58 cm; and H − EO : 6.1 ± 0.52 cm). The GSH activity in the L-EO and SASP groups was significantly higher than that in the DSS group (P < 0.01). SOD activity in L-EO and M-EO groups was also significantly higher than that in DSS treatment group (P < 0.01). MDA was decreased in the EO treatment groups and the SASP group (L-EO, H-EO, SASP: P < 0.01; M-EO: P < 0.05). MPO of EO treatment group was lower than that of model group (the L-EO group was not significant, M-EO: P < 0.05, H-EO: P < 0.05). This study shows that EO can effectively improve the symptoms of colitis.

Efficacy of Inhaled Essential Oil Use on Selected Symptoms Affecting Quality of Life in Patients With Cancer Receiving Infusion Therapies.

To evaluate the effects of inhaled ginger, German chamomile, and bergamot essential oil (EO) versus an odorless control oil on appetite, anxiety, fatigue, and nausea in individuals with cancer receiving IV therapy. 248 adults with gastrointestinal, neuroendocrine, or skin cancer receiving IV therapy from an academic cancer center. Participants were randomized to EO or control oil groups. Participants rated their symptoms during a seven-day period using a Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (no symptoms) to 10 (worst symptoms ever). Symptom burden was low. More men than women completed the study. The majority of participants had gastrointestinal cancer, followed by skin and neuroendocrine cancer. Ginger EO produced statistically significant results for anxiety and fatigue. Most participants were men and had gastrointestinal cancer. The high number of zero scores for symptoms may indicate the success of current symptom management regimens. Improvements in anxiety and fatigue using ginger EO warrant further study for validation.

Effect of Bacillus species–fermented products and essential oils on growth performance, gut morphology, cecal short-chain fatty acid levels, and microbiota community in broilers

In this study, the effects of Bacillus species–fermented products (synbiotics [SYNs]) and essential oils (EOs) on the growth performance, gut morphology, cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels, and microbiota of broilers were investigated. A total of 180 one-day-old unsexed broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments as follows: basal diet (control group), basal diet plus enramycin (10 mg/kg; A group), basal diet plus SYNs (3 × 1011 CFU spore/kg of feed; SYN group), basal diet plus EOs (100 mg/kg; EO group), and basal diet plus SYNs and EOs (SYN + EO group), with 6 replicate cages per treatment group and 6 birds per cage. The SYN+EO treatment resulted in a higher (P = 0.003) average daily gain at 1 to 14 d of age than did the control and EO treatments. SYNs had a significant effect on the average daily gain at 1 to 14 d (P < 0.001) and 1 to 35 d (P = 0.045) of age. EOs had a significant effect on the villus height of the duodenum (P = 0.015) and jejunum (P = 0.027). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and mucin 2 (MUC2) mRNA expression in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum in the SYN + EO group was higher (P < 0.001) than that in any of the other groups. The SYN+EO treatment resulted in higher (P < 0.001) 2-methylbutyric acid and 3-methylbutyric acid levels in the cecal digesta of the broilers than did the control treatment. Cecal species evenness in the SYN + EO group was higher (P < 0.001) than that in the control group. The abundance of the phylum Firmicutes in the cecal digesta of the broilers was higher (P < 0.001) in the SYN+EO group than in the control group. SYNs had a significant effect (P < 0.001) on the abundance of the genus Lactobacillus in the cecal digesta of the broilers. The abundance of the genus Lactobacillus was positively associated with 2-methylbutyric acid and 3-methylbutyric acid levels. The 2-methylbutyric acid and 3-methylbutyric acid levels were positively correlated with the villus height of the duodenum and ileum. These results suggest that simultaneous supplementation with SYNs and EOs can increase the average daily gain, improve gut health–associated gene expression, increase SCFA levels, and modulate the gut microbiota composition of broilers.

Evaluation of oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oil supplementation on growth performance, digestive enzymes, intestinal histomorphology and gut microbiota of Black Sea salmon, Salmo labrax

Abstract This study aimed to determine the effect of dietary oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oil (EO) on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal histomorphology, and intestinal microbiota of the Black Sea salmon juvenile (Salmo labrax). Fish were fed diets different levels of oregano EO such as 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg kg−1. For this purpose, a total of 675 fish were distributed randomly in triplicate into 5 experiment groups in 15 experiment tanks. Fish with average initial weights of 3.52±0.01 g were fed by hand at 3% of live weight for 90 days. At the end of the study, feeding with oregano EO supplementation did not significantly affect the growth performance of fish. Except for pepsin, there were no significant differences in the activity of digestive enzymes among the control and oregano EO groups. Besides, oregano EO at the doses of 50 or 400 mg kg−1 may have the potential to increase the surface area required for digestion by increasing intestinal villi length. Moreover, all doses of oregano EO showed antimicrobial properties by decreasing the count of lactic acid bacteria in the intestine. Supplementation with 100 and 200 mg kg−1 oregano EO in diets decreased the total coliform, Escherichia coli and lactic acid bacteria counts when compared to the control group. The results showed that oregano EO may positively affect digestion and absorption without adverse effects on the growth performance of Black Sea salmon juvenile.

Does adding thyme and rosemary essential oils to sunflower oil during shallow-frying increase the lipid quality of Atlantic bonito?

The impact of the addition of commercial thyme (TEO) and rosemary essential oil (REO) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, 0.01%) combined with sunflower oil on the lipid quality of Atlantic bonito was investigated during shallow frying. Atlantic bonito treated with TEO and REO had significantly lower lipid content than control and BHT-treated samples (p < 0.05). As compared to controls, the addition of both synthetic and natural antioxidants to sunflower oil resulted in a significant decrease in the peroxide values (PV), free fatty acids (FFA), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) values of samples. These decreases had a similar effect in both essential oils (EOs) groups, inversely proportional to the increased used concentration. The addition of all EOs into the sunflower oil, except for 0.9% REO group, significantly increased the amount of total saturated fatty acid (∑SFA). Although the addition of EOs at different concentrations has a significant effect on the total monounsaturated fatty acids (∑MUFA) of fried Atlantic bonito, the highest MUFAs content was observed in the 0.6% thyme EO group. Our results indicated that the use of commercial TEO and REO seems to be effective in the protection of the amount of fatty acid compositions of Atlantic bonito, especially eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA). As a result, the lipid quality of Atlantic bonito during shallow frying was improved by all EOs used for the current study.

Effects of the healing activity of rosemary-of-Chapada (Lippia gracilis Schauer) on cutaneous lesions in rats.

ABSTRACTPurpose:To evaluate the effects of rosemary leaf essential oil-based ointments on the healing of rat skin lesions.Methods:Sixty adult male rats, with dorsal excisional skin wounds made surgically under anesthesia, were divided into three groups (n = 20): Sham group (untreated wounds); control group (CG, wounds treated with vehicle); and essential oil (EO) treated group (wounds treated with essential oil-based ointments), administered topically once daily. Skin wounds were evaluated at 4, 7, 14, and 21 days after EO or vehicle treatments. Lesions were analyzed macroscopically for the contraction degree. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of skin wounds were used for histopathological evaluation.Results:Macroscopic evaluation showed wounds edges with thin crust without firmness and yellowish color, along with an improvement in wound contraction in EO group when compared to the other groups. A reduced inflammatory reaction, along with newly formed small diameter capillaries and more organized and elongated collagen fibers, were more frequently observed in EO group than in the other groups. Moreover, blood vessel number and collagen fibers density were significantly higher in EO group.Conclusions:Skin lesion treatment with rosemary leaf essential oil-based ointments accelerates the initial stages of healing, reduces inflammation, and increases angiogenesis, collagen fibers density, and wound contraction in rats.

Montmorillonite nanoclay based formulation for controlled and selective release of volatile essential oil compounds

In the current study, a green method that can be easily used in different industrial applications, based on the modification of sodium exchanged montmorillonite (Na+-Mt) with essential oils (EO) such as thyme oil, thymol and carvacrol was presented. The obtained results show the prepared clays-essential oils hybrids were promising nanomaterials to encapsulate the active compounds and to control their release selectively in the functional applications. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to study the adsorption of EO, thymol and carvacrol molecules, in the interlayer space. To verify the adsorption of thyme EO, thymol and carvacrol into Na+-Mt layers and to determine the temperature range where the EO, thymol and carvacrol release took place, thermogravimetric analysis (TG) was used. Attenuated total reflecting-Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to verify and to study the adsorption mechanism. The obtained results show that the interlayer space of Na+-Mt was not affected by the adsorption of thyme EO, thymol or carvacrol molecules. The release of the adsorbed molecules of thyme EO, thymol or carvacrol from Na+-Mt surface was obtained above 180 °C. Combination of simulation with all obtained experimental results, confirm that the adsorption process of thyme EO, thymol, and carvacrol molecules on the Na+-Mt took place on the external surface i) by hydrogen bonds between the OH groups of thyme EO, thymol or carvacrol molecules and OH groups of Na+-Mt surface, and ii) by hydrogen bonds between these adsorbed molecules. The release study shows that the adsorption of EO like thyme, and its constituents such as thymol and carvacrol onto an inorganic porous material such as Na+-Mt provides extended controlled release of all adsorbed active molecules with their chemical stability due to the protection against environmental conditions. In addition, the release of thyme oil constituents (like thymol and carvacrol) occurs by a selective process in time.