Sage Essential Oil 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

The Use of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) Essential Oil for Controlling Cercospora Leaf Spot (Cercospora beticola) on Sugar Beets (Beta vulgaris)

Decreasing efficacy of fungicides and the withdrawal of further hazardous active ingredients in pesticides from use have prompted the search for alternative methods of crop protection. Essential oils (EOs) are secondary metabolites of plants and have been proven to show antibacterial, antifungal, and pest-repellent properties. This study was undertaken to determine the activity of grapefruit, rosemary, pine, sage, and thyme EOs against the fungus Cercospora beticola, which is the most dangerous pathogen of sugar beet and the causal agent of Cercospora leaf spot. According to the determined Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), thyme EO was found the most effective against C. beticola. For most of the fungal isolates tested, the MIC of this EO was 0.313 mL/L. Thyme EO also inhibited the growth of multi-resistant isolates. Based on the results obtained, thyme EO was subjected to further testing in field conditions, where its efficiency in controlling C. beticola was also proven. The results indicate that the use of thyme EO may be a promising method for the protection of sugar beets, although it requires further optimization in the context of its inclusion in sustainable protection programs assuming a reduced number of synthetic fungicide treatments.

Response of broilers to supplementation of Salvia officinalis L. essential oil in hot ambient conditions.

Heat stress has various detrimental effects on poultry production. The aim of the study was to alleviate the effects of heat stress in broiler production. For this purpose, 288 one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were obtained from a commercial hatchery and randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups; CON: corn-soybean meal based commercial diet, SEO100: CON with 100mg/kg Sage essential oil (SEO) and SEO200: CON with 200mg/kg SEO with 96 birds in each group (4 replicates each) in a completely randomized design under hot ambient temperatures for 42 days. No differences were observed in the body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio at 42 days of age among groups. However, there was a significant increase in 21-day body weight in SEO200 chicks compared to CON. Furthermore, the addition of SEO significantly decreased the mortality rate under heat stress conditions. The total oxidant status value was lower in broiler chickens in which SEO was added to their diets. While the total antioxidant status value was higher in SEO100 chicks, it did not show a linear increase. Additionally, the results demonstrated that the addition of SEO to broiler diets under heat stress did not have a significant effect on inspected meat quality traits, with the exception of the b*(yellowness) value of breast muscle. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that 200mg/kg SEO can be added to diets for the welfare of broiler chickens under heat stress conditions for struggling with oxidants and increasing viability. Further research is needed to investigate the antioxidant activity and meat quality of different levels of SEO in hot ambient conditions.

Phytopurifying activity of Salvia officinalis L. from Tunisia

The sage (Salvia officinalis L.) is an annual and biennial plant of Mediterranean origin from the Lamiaceae family. It's a valuable medicinal plant, which is widely used in traditional medicine in world and in Tunisia; this species is very rich in active biological compounds.The objective of this study was to determine the phyto-purifying activity of sage essential, fixed oil and ethanolic extracts in an extensive wastewater purification system of Tunisian national sanitation office. We have measured the physico-chemical parameters of wastewater treated with sage oils and extracts. Then, we have carried out a bacteriological analysis of this wastewater.Our results showed that pH values measured following treatment with sage essential oil gave a pH close to neutral. Therefore, this water can be used for irrigation. In addition, the sage leaves and stems have a considerable effect on the salinity and caused a very remarkable increase in electrical conductivity of the wastewater, the measure of elimination rate demonstrated the effectiveness of sage extracts in eliminating all the microorganisms existing in wastewater.In fact, sage essential oil has the greatest effectiveness in reducing the chemical oxygen demand of the wastewater and we have noticed that a decrease in chemical oxygen demand of microorganisms existing in the wastewater was necessarily accompanied by a decrease in biological oxygen demand. Therefore, sage leaves and stems were more effective in reducing suspended matter existing in wastewater.

Antibacterial and antibiofilm effect of essential oils on staphylococci isolated from cheese - application of the oil mixture in a cheese model

The aim of the research was to examine the antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of angelica, immortelle, laurel, hyssop, and sage plant dust essential oils (EOs) against isolated strains of Staphylococcus spp. from cheeses, in vitro and in the model of white cheese. MALDI-TOF MS analysis confirmed two Staphylococcus aureus strains and two coagulase-negative, identified as S. saprophyticus and S. warneri. All isolates produce biofilm, where the strains of S. aureus showed slightly better adherence. The main component of angelica EO was β-phellandrene (48.19 %), while α-pinene (20.33 %) were dominant in immortelle EO, in hyssop EO cis-pinocamphone (37.25 %), in laurel EO 1,8-cineole (43.15 %) and in sage EO epirosmanol (26.25 %). The sage EO exhibited the strongest antistaphylococcal activity against all isolates. Synergism was also detected in combination of sage with hyssop or laurel EO. Better antibiofilm activity was confirmed for sage EO compared to hyssop EO. The mixture of sage/laurel EOs reduced the total number of staphylococci in the cheese after 4 days. Results indicate that in vitro applied EOs showed significant antistaphylococcal and antibiofilm activity, while the oil mixture reduced the initial total number of staphylococci.

Foliar application of various biostimulants produces contrasting response on yield, essential oil and chemical properties of organically grown sage (Salvia officinalis L.).

Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) is a medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Its morphological, productive and chemical characteristics are affected by abiotic and biotic factors. The use of biostimulants seems to be one of the most interesting innovative practices due to fact they can represent a promising approach for achieving sustainable and organic agriculture. Despite a large application in horticulture, the use of biostimulants on MAPs has been poorly investigated. On this basis, a field experiment in a 2-year study was done to assess the effect of foliar treatments with different types of biostimulants (containing seaweeds, fulvic acids and protein hydrolysates) and two frequencies of application on morphological, productive, and chemical characteristics of S. officinalis grown organically in Mediterranean environment. Morphological, productive, and chemical parameters were affected by the factors. The biostimulant application generated higher plant height, chlorophyll content, relative water content, biomass yield and essential oil yield compared to control plants. In addition, more frequent application of biostimulants produced higher biomass and essential oil yield. The application of fulvic acid and protein hydrolysates every week produced the highest total fresh yields (between 3.9 and 8.7 t ha-1) and total dry yields (between 1.3 and 2.5 t ha-1). The essential oil yield almost doubled (33.9 kg ha-1) with a higher frequency of protein hydrolysates application. In this study, 44 essential oil compounds were identified, and the frequency factor significantly influenced the percentage of 38 compounds. The highest percentage of some of the most representative monoterpenes, such as 1,8-cineole, α-thujone and camphor, were observed in biostimulated plants, with average increases between 6% and 35% compared to control plants. The highest values for total phenolics, rosmarinic acid, antioxidant activity were obtained in control plants and with a lower frequency of biostimulant applications. This study emphasizes how biostimulant applications may be used to improve sage production performance and essential oil parameters when produced in agricultural organic system. At the same time, biostimulants application caused a decrease in total phenolic, antioxidant activity and rosmarinic acid values.

How Sage and Rosemary Essential Oils Regulate Postharvest Senescence and Extend the Vase Life of Cut Gladiolus Spikes

How Sage and Rosemary Essential Oils Regulate Postharvest Senescence and Extend the Vase Life of Cut Gladiolus Spikes

Linalyl acetate exerts analgesic effects by inhibiting nociceptive TRPA1 in mice.

Clary sage essential oil (CSEO) is utilized in perfumery, aromatherapy, and skincare. Linalyl acetate (LA), a primary component of CSEO, possesses sedative, anxiolytic, and analgesic properties. However, the mechanism of its analgesic action is not clearly understood. Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel, a non-selective cation channel, is mainly expressed in sensory neurons and serves as a sensor of various irritants. In this study, we investigated the effects of LA on TRPA1 channel using heterologous expression system and isolated sensory neurons. To detect channel activity, we employed Ca2+ imaging and the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. The analgesic action of LA was measured in a pain-related behavioral mouse model. In cells that heterologously expressed TRPA1, LA diminished [Ca2+]i and current responses to allylisothiocyanate (AITC) and carvacrol: exogenous TRPA1 agonists, and the inhibitory effects were more pronounced for the former than for the latter. Moreover, LA suppressed [Ca2+] i and current responses to PGJ2: an endogenous TRPA1 agonist. Similar inhibitory actions were observed in native TRPA1 channels expressed in mouse sensory neurons. Furthermore, LA diminished PGJ2-induced nociceptive behaviors in mice. These findings suggest that analgesic effects of LA exert through inhibition of nociceptive TRPA1, making it a potential candidate for novel analgesic development.

Enrichment of olive oil with sage (Salvia officinalis) leaf essential oil extracted by ultrasound pretreatment followed by hydrodistillation to increase its shelf life

Olive oil (OO) is a valuable food product, compared with other seed oils, for its health benefits, sensory attributes and higher economic value. The demand for natural antioxidants has recently grown due to the potential toxicity and carcinogenicity of synthetic antioxidants that are utilized in food industry. This study aimed to investigate the oxidative stability of OO enriched with sage (Salvia officinalis) essential oil (EO). The sage EO was extracted from the leaves by ultrasound (US) as a pretreatment followed by hyrodistillation (HD). The effects of US power level (60 and 90 W) and time (10, 20 and 30 mins) on the EO yield, total extraction time and quality characteristics were studied. Compared to the HD extraction, the US pretreatments before HD shortened the total extraction time to ≤ 54 mins, with the same extraction yield, instead of 240 mins with HD. Various EO samples extracted by these US pretreatments followed by HD (US+HD) were analyzed for their chemical compositions by GC–MS and compared with that of EO obtained by HD. Compositional analysis revealed that the most prominent oxygenated monoterpenes of EO samples were camphor, α-thujone, 1,8-cineole, β-thujone, bornyl acetate and endo-borneol. The EO extracted by US pretreatment at 60 W for 10 mins followed by HD for 34 mins was characterized by the highest quality index [(α- + βthujone)/camphor ratio] and higher levels of antioxidant constituents (α-pinene and camphene). The sage EO obtained by this technique was selected to enrich OO at 200, 400 and 600 mg/Kg of OO. Quality criteria of the OO such as acidity, peroxide value, conjugated dienes and trienes besides chlorophyll and carotenoid contents and fatty acids composition were measured. Results revealed that the addition of sage EO at 200 mg/Kg of OO increased the oxidative stability of OO measured by Rancimat by 36% instead of 21% by using the synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) at the same level. Moreover, the sensory attributes of the enriched OO were maintained. From this study, it can be concluded that sage EO can be used to increase the shelf life of OO.

Antitumor activity of essential oils-based nanostructured lipid carriers on prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent malignancy in men worldwide. Essential oils (EOs) are natural products which can act in cancer suppression by several mechanisms. In this work, a nanotechnological approach was used to develop and evaluate the antineoplastic effects of EOs loaded by nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). Three different NLC systems composed of cinnamon, sage or thyme EOs were optimized using factorial design (23). The optimal formulations were characterized in terms of biophysical parameters, structure, stability, in vivo safety and efficacy. All optimized NLC formulations exhibited excellent structural properties and stability over a year (25 °C). They proved to be in vitro and in vivo biocompatible on PNT2 normal prostate cells and on chicken embryos (CE), respectively. In PC3 PCa cells, optimized NLCs inhibited cell proliferation and migration and changed its morphology. In CE xenograft tumor, NLCs have inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis. The results from this work suggested that all developed EO-based NLC formulations had their stability improved while the biological activity remains unchanged.

Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils and Hydrosols from Oregano, Sage and Pennyroyal against Oral Pathogens

In this study, the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) extracted from Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum Lamiaceae, (oregano), Salvia officinalis Lamiaceae (sage), Mentha pulegium Lamiaceae (pennyroyal), and respective hydrosols (HSs) has been investigated by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The antimicrobial activity was assessed against two oral pathogens: Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus mutans and the fungus Candida albicans by determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal/Fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC). Three-fold diluted solutions were dispensed into each well of a 96-well microtiter plate and, after incubation, MIC was determined by visual monitoring. The MBC/MFC was determined by transferring a small quantity of sample contained in each replicate well of the microtiter plates to appropriate culture media using a microplate replicator. The EOs of the tested herbs showed antimicrobial properties, especially the EO oil of O. vulgare, which exerted the highest antimicrobial activity. HSs of S. officinalis and M. pulegium exerted no antimicrobial activity, in contrast to oregano HS, which displayed strong antimicrobial activity. In all cases, a higher number of compounds were detected in EOs than in the corresponding HSs. The major compounds of sage EO were detected to be α-thujone (25.1%), 1,8-cineole (15.8%) and β-pinene (10.0%), while the HS was characterized by the presence of 1,8-cineole (32.6%), borneol (22.6%) and α-thujone (22.4%). Pennyroyal EO and HS consists mainly of pulegone (62.1 and 50.6%, respectively). Carvacrol was the major component present in EO (63%) and HS (97.3%) of oregano, probably contributing to the antimicrobial activity. Further research is needed in order to elucidate the antimicrobial mechanisms of specific compounds present in essential oils and hydrosols of Lamiaceae grown in Greece against oral pathogens.

Plant Essential Oils: Dual Action of Toxicity and Egg-Laying Inhibition on Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae), Unveiling Their Potential as Botanical Pesticides.

Tetranychus urticae, a prominent pest mite in strawberry and vegetable cultivation in China, has developed escalating resistance due to extensive chemical pesticide application. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify safe and efficacious methods to reduce resistance development. In this study, 38 commercially available plant essential oils (EOs) were screened for their acaricidal potential and ability to inhibit oviposition. The findings revealed that 13 EOs exhibited notable acaricidal activity, with lemon EO demonstrating the highest toxicity, followed by sage, patchouli, frankincense, lemongrass, palmarosa, and oregano EOs. In addition, 18 EOs displayed significant inhibitory effects on oviposition, with lemon EO exhibiting the highest inhibition rate (99.15%) and inhibition index (0.98). Subsequently, sage, frankincense, clove, lemongrass, oregano, patchouli, myrrh, black pepper, palmarosa, and geranium EOs also showed inhibition rates exceeding 50%. Despite black pepper, clove, myrrh, and oregano EOs demonstrating relatively low toxicity against T. urticae, they exhibited heightened efficacy in inhibiting oviposition and suppressing population expansion. This study conducted a comparative assessment of the acaricidal and oviposition inhibition activities of EOs and their principal constituents, thus providing a theoretical basis for the development of botanical acaricides against T. urticae.

The capacity of Lamiaceae essential oils, extracts and hydrolats against pathogenic biofilms

The study aimed to analyse the potential of Lamiaceae essential oils, extracts, and hydrolats against bacterial biofilms. Bacterial cells Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus were exposed to Thymus vulgaris L. (thyme), Salvia officinalis L. (sage), Mentha × piperita L. (mint) essential oils, extracts, and hydrolats. The result of the minimal inhibitory concentration assessment shows the highest antibacterial potential for essential oils, followed by extracts and hydrolats respectively. The anti-biofouling capacity revealed that thyme essential oil has the highest potential for biofilm prevention for all tested bacteria, reducing up to 91% of biofilm, followed by mint (88%) and sage (87%) essential oil. While the thyme extract (84%), sage extract (83%) and hydrolat (77%) we less effective. The chemical composition of thyme essential oil showed a high percentage of monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes, among which p-cymene and thymol were the most predominant. The bacterial cell membrane integrity assessment shows a significant increase in dead cells by increasing the concentration of thyme essential oil. The findings of our research indicate that the choice of herbal preparation significantly affects the active components, thereby influencing both antibacterial and anti-biofouling capabilities. Lamiaceae essential oils show great potential for biofilm management and represent a good candidate for antibacterial application in pharmacy, medicine, and industry.

Sheep's Second Cheese Whey Edible Coatings with Oregano and Clary Sage Essential Oils Used as Sustainable Packaging Material in Cheese.

Sheep's second cheese whey (SCW), the by-product resulting from whey cheese production, was used as a component of cheese coatings containing oregano (Origanum compactum) and clary sage (Salvia sclarea) essential oils (EOs). SCW powder was obtained by the ultrafiltration/diafiltration of SCW followed by reverse osmosis and freeze drying. The coatings were produced with a mixture of SCW and whey protein isolate (WPI) using glycerol as plasticizer. Model cheeses were produced with cow´s milk and those containing SCW:WPI coatings; those with and without EOs were compared to controls without coating and with a commercial coating containing natamycin. At the end of ripening (28 days), the cheeses containing EOs presented higher water activity (ca. 0.930) and moisture content, as well as lower titratable acidity. Concerning color parameters, significant differences were also observed between products and as a result of ripening time. However, the use of SCW:WPI coatings did not significantly influence the color parameters at the end of ripening. Regarding texture parameters, the cheeses containing SCW:WPI coatings presented significantly lower values for hardness, chewiness, and gumminess. Significant differences were also observed for all microbial groups evaluated either between products and as a result of ripening time. In all cases, lactobacilli and lactococci counts surpassed log 7-8 CFU/g, while the counts of yeasts and molds increased steadily from ca. log 3 to log 6 CFU/g. The lowest counts of yeasts and molds were observed in the samples containing natamycin, but nonsignificant differences between products were observed. In conclusion, SCW:WPI cheese coatings can successfully substitute commercial coatings with the advantage of being edible packaging materials manufactured with by-products.

Whole-genome resequencing identifies exonic single-nucleotide variations in terpenoid biosynthesis genes of the medicinal and aromatic plant common sage (Salvia officinalis L.)

Common sage (Salvia officinalis L.), the type species of the genus Salvia, is a historically acknowledged medicinal and aromatic plant that is utilized in several different industries for manufacturing diverse end products, including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, personal hygiene products and insect repellants. The medical uses of sage essential oil terpenoids have made these secondary metabolites a focus of medical/pharmaceutical chemistry research. In the present work, the common sage genome was resequenced and assembled, and the protein-encoding gene content was annotated. The terpenoid biosynthesis gene repertoire, which includes 75 terpene synthase and 67 terpenoid backbone biosynthesis pathway genes, was predicted and located on assembly scaffolds, revealing tandem duplication blocks on the chromosomes. Variant analysis identified 188 variable single-nucleotide loci in the coding sequences of sage terpenoid biosynthesis genes. A total of 24,570 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in the common sage total exome, representing a database of potential variable loci for targeted genotyping research. Given that terpene synthase activity is highly prone to modulation by point mutations and that the genotype plays an important role in the complex traits of terpenoid composition, single-nucleotide polymorphisms located in coding sequences constitute candidate functional markers that can be associated with terpenoid compositional traits in future research.

Assessment of the Anti-Amyloidogenic Properties of Essential Oils and Their Constituents in Cells Using a Whole-Cell Recombinant Biosensor.

Essential oils exhibit numerous medicinal properties, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Recent studies also indicate that certain essential oils demonstrate anti-amyloidogenic activity against β-amyloid, the protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease. To investigate whether the anti-aggregating properties of essential oils extend to α-synuclein, the protein involved in Parkinson's disease, we constructed and employed a whole-cell biosensor based on the split-luciferase complementation assay. We validated our biosensor by using baicalein, a known inhibitor of α-synuclein aggregation, and subsequently we tested eight essential oils commonly used in food and the hygienic industry. Two of them, citron and sage, along with their primary components, pure linalool (the main constituent in citron essential oil) and pure eucalyptol (1,8-cineole, the main constituent in sage essential oil), were able to reduce α-syn aggregation. These findings suggest that both essential oils and their main constituents could be regarded as potential components in functional foods or incorporated into complementary Parkinson's disease therapies.

Characterization of biodegradable films based on guar gum and calcium caseinate incorporated with clary sage oil: Rheological, physicochemical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties

Clary sage essential oil (CSEO) has been reported for its wide food and pharmaceutical applications. This work aimed to produce biodegradable active guar gum-calcium caseinate (GG-CC) based film incorporated with CSEO and to evaluate its physico-chemical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. Solvent casting technique was used to prepare the composite films containing CSEO at 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2% (v/v). The chemical, rheological, morphology, mechanical, thermal, optical, crystalline, biodegradable, water barrier, antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of the samples were assessed by various analytical methods. Rheological findings of filmogenic solution revealed that the viscosity of filmogenic solutions (GCEO2–GCEO4) increased with an increase in the concentration of the CSEO. CSEO addition in GG-CC film exhibited a homogenous structure with low crystallinity, transparency, water vapor permeability, moisture content, and tensile strength values, whereas a rise in elongation at break, thickness, and thermal stability was observed. Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) results suggested the interaction between CSEO and GG-CC-CSEO films also exhibited satisfactory antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS free radicals and higher antimicrobial effect against the Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). This work revealed that CSEO has the potential to be used as an active ingredient in the development of films for food packaging applications.

Immunity, rumen metagenomics, ruminal variables, and growth performance of calves fed milk with sage (Salvia officinalis) essential oil.

The study aimed to determine the effect of sage (Salvia officinalis) essential oil (EO) to the drinking milk until the weaning stage of Holstein calves on the growth performance, body measurements, ruminal fermentation, rumen metagenomic profile, proinflammatory cytokines [interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and IL-1β], immune globulins (IgG, IgM, and IgE), and acute phase proteins (serum amyloid-A, SAA). In the study, 24 Holstein calves were divided into three groups as 0 μL (SAG0; control group), 100 μL (SAG100), or 200 μL (SAG200) of sage EO to the milk per calf per day. The addition of sage EO to the milk linearly increased the live weight, feed intake, and daily body weight gain (P < 0.05). The addition of sage EO to the milk in calves linearly increased serum IgG titter dose dependently (P < 0.05), but serum IgM and IgE titters did not change (P > 0.05). The concentrations of serum TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the weaned calves linearly decreased by the sage aromatic oil addition to the milk (P < 0.05). The serum SAA concentrations of calves did not differ among the control and treatment groups (P > 0.05). Probiotic Bifidobacterium and Acidaminococcus genusin calf rumen fluid canincrease bysage EO addition to milk. The relative abundance of genus Prevotella, Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, and Prevotella_9 increase with sage EO. The ruminal ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration and total short chain fatty acid (T-SCFA) molarity decreased by sage EO addition to the drinking milk (P < 0.05). Themolarities of iso butyric (IBA) and iso valeric acids (IVA) in rumen fluid of the weaned calves linearly reduced by the increasing sage EO dose to the milk (P < 0.05). The butyric acid (BA) and iso caproic acid (ICA) molarities in rumen fluid did not change by the sage EO addition (P > 0.05). Consequently, it has been observed that sage EO addition to the milk of calves positively affected the immune system variables and performance parameters.Sage EO additionof calves before weaning may support the immune system in the eventual immunosuppression at the weaning stage.

Using the Essential Oils of Sage and Anise to Enhance the Shelf Life of the Williams (sin. Bartlett) Pear

The effects of post-harvest spray treatments with essential oils (EOs) obtained from sage and aniseed on maintaining the quality of pears of the ‘Williams’ variety during storage was studied. Harvested pears were picked when they had reached their optimal maturity and underwent a treatment involving the application of aqueous solutions of glycerin, with varying amounts of sage essential oil (SEO) and aniseed essential oil (AEO). Weight loss during storage varied according to the treatment applied with the lowest values recorded for sage essential oil at concentrations of 300 ppm (6.24%) and 250 ppm (6.60%), respectively. Aniseed essential oil had a smaller effect on weight loss compared to sage essential oil. Fruit firmness was better maintained under the influence of the essential oil treatments, with those treated with sage essential oil standing out. The concentration of the essential oils that is used influences the antimicrobial activity of the post-harvest treatment that is applied, with higher essential oil concentrations leading to more pronounced decreases in the total number of mesophilic aerobic bacteria immediately after treatment (4.05 for SEO 200; 3.00 for SEO 300, respectively). The use of post-harvest techniques involving the application of aqueous solutions containing glycerol and essential plant oils by spraying can extend the shelf life of pear fruits.

Effects of sage (Salvia officinalis) essential oil on growth, health and antioxidant capacity of common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

In the study, effects of S. officinalis essential oil on growth performance, health and antioxidant activity in C. carpio were investigated. The fish (13 ± 0.21g) were fed with diet containing 1 and 3 ml kg- 1 of sage oil for 60 days. At the end of study, growth performance was not affected in fish fed with sage essential oil (p > 0.05). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in hepatopancreas increased with addition of 1ml kg- 1 sage oil to the diet. However, Catalase (CAT) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) values were not significantly altered in common carp. Total protein, albumin, glucose and hepatopancreas enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP)) in blood serum were not affected by sage essential oil supplementation. At the histological examinations, no pathological findings were observed in hepatopancreas and intestine of carp. Goblet cells number and villi length in intestine increased with sage supplementation (p < 0.001). In addition, fertility, granulation and number of follicles increased in common carp fed with sage essential oil. Mortality after challenged with A. hydrophila was not observed in carp fed with 1ml kg- 1 concentration of sage essential oil. As a result, use of sage oil can be recommended in carp farming to improve gut health, provide disease resistance against A. hydrophila infection, and increase of fertility.