The study evaluated the effect of essential oils from lavender (Lavandula stoaches) (LEO), on growth performance, carcass quality and antioxidant status of broilers. Three nutritionally adequate diets were composed with the addition of LEO at 0, 24, and 48 mg/kg of feed. The diets were fed as mash in the starter (d 0-21) and grower (d 22-39) phases. A total of 405 day-old chicks (Ross-308) were allocated to the three dietary treatments, each with three replicate pens with 45 birds per pen. After the first 21-day feeding period, the bodyweight of chicks fed 24 mg/kg LEO was higher (P <0.01) than the 48 mg/kg LEO treatment, but only slightly higher than that of the untreated group. Diets with 24 and 48 mg/kg of LEO tended to increase final bodyweight of birds at 39 days old. No differences were observed for feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality among treatments. Feeding chickens on a diet with added LEO significantly reduced the relative weight of liver (P <0.01) compared with the control (CNT) group. Percentage of spleen weight of birds fed 24 mg/kg LEO was lower (P <0.05) than for those who received 48 mg/kg LEO. However, it was similar to that of the CNT. Birds fed diets supplemented with 24 and 48 mg/kg LEO had breast meat with higher brightness (L* value) and higher concentration of superoxide dismutase (SOD) compared with birds that did not receive LEO. Based on the data, it can be concluded that LEO could be used as a growth promoter in broiler nutrition with potential improvements in breast meat quality. ______________________________________________________________________________________

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bsbd@balikesir.edu.tr www.bau-sbdergisi.com ÖZET Li pi t peroksidasyonu bağışıkl ığı, büyümeyi ve üremeyi de i çeren fi zyol oji k fonks i yon l a rın bozulmasına yol açar. Bazı antioksidan enzimler, E ve C vi ta mini gibi eksojen vi taminler i le ba zı mi neraller, hücreleri l ipit peroksidasyonuna karşı korurlar. E vi tamininin moleküler ve hücresel etki leri, antioksidan olarak reaktif oksijen türlerini ve nitrik oksiti temizlemek ya nında s pes i fi k enzi mler ve tra nskripsiyon faktörleriyle de etkil eşerek za rl a r ve l i pi t a l a nl a rı gi bi hücres el ya pıl arı korumaktır. E vi ta mini, hücre zarlarında bul una n uzun zi nci rl i çokl u doyma mış ya ğ a s itlerinin bütünlüğünü korur ve biyoaktivitel eri ni deva m etti ri r. E vi ta mi ni a ynı za ma nda , s teroid hormon üreten dokularda yoğun olarak bulunur ve bu dokul a rda s i tokrom p -450'ni n ol dukça duya rlı s teroidojenik aktivitelerini l ipit peroksidasyonuna karşı korur. Stres, hastalıkl a r ve i mmun ya nıtın teşviki, vi ta mi n ve es a ns i yel el ementl er gi bi bes i n ma ddel eri ne ol a n gereksinimleri arttırabilir. Besinsel dengesizlikler, s ıcak, soğuk, ka l a ba l ık, gürül tü ve ta şınma gi bi s tres unsurları, vücudun s avunma mekanizmalarını zayıfl a ta ra k enfeks i yöz ha s ta l ıkl a ra ya tkınlığa neden olabilirler. Stres durumlarında vi tamin ve minerallere olan gereks i ni m a rta r. Hücre za rına bağlı olan E vi tamini, immun ya nıtları tetikleyen ve düzenleyen kompl eks hücre -hücre etkileşimlerinde önemli bir rol oynar. Ka ra ci ğer ve s erumda ki E vi ta mi ni düzeyl eri , E vi ta mini a lımı veya vücuttaki durumunun güvenilir gös tergel eri di r. Bu derl emeni n a ma cı, E vi ta mininin antioksidan özel l i kl eri i l e i l gi l i bi l gi l eri ve ça l ışma l a rı bi r a ra ya geti rmekti r.Anahtar Kelimeler: Li pi t peroks i da s yonu, a nti oks i da n, E vi ta mi ni , s tres . SUMMARYLi pi d peroxidation l eads to deterioration of phys i ol ogi ca l functi ons i ncl udi ng growth a nd reproduction as well as the i mmunity. Some antioxidant enzymes and the exogenous vi tami ns s uch a s vitamin C a nd E, a nd some minerals protect cells a gainst lipid peroxidation. Mol ecul a r a nd cellular effects of vi tamin E a s a n antioxidant a re to clean the reactive oxygen species a nd ni tri c oxide s ynthase a nd to i nfluence cellular s tructures such as membranes a nd lipid domains by i nteracting with specific enzymes a nd tra nscription factors. Vitamin E maintains integri ty of the l ong chain polyunsaturated fatty a cids that are present in the cell membranes, and retains thei r bioactivity. Vi tamin E i s also i ntensely present i n tissues producing the steroi d hormone, a nd protects the very s ensitive steroi dogeni c a cti vi ti es of cytochrome P-450 a ga i ns t l i pi d peroxi dation i n these tissues. Stress, disease a nd the promotion of the immune respons e ma y i ncrease the need for nutrients s uch as vi tamins a nd essential elements. Stress factors s uch a s nutri tional i mbalances, hot and cold, ...

Animal welfare targets a life free of unfavourable feelings such as pain, suffering and stress, and the lack of any response to stress in animals is considered an indicator of welfare. Metabolic changes occur in animals depending on the severity of the stress (Avcı et al., 2008). Humoral immune responses in sheep are indicative of relative stress caused by both physical and emotional changes (Caroprese et al., 2006). It was reported that stress affects living life and productivity, causing negative consequences such as lipid peroxidation, protein denaturation and DNA mutations in cells and eventually reduced meat quality (Avcı et al., 2008). On the other hand, the oxidant-antioxidant balance may be disrupted in favour of free radicals as a result of the increase in enzyme activities such as lactic acid, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase as well as the increased levels of epinephrine and other catecholamines due to stress (Çetin et al., 2011). Sedatives, dopamine, opioids, central nervous system depressants, hormonal drugs, vitamins, minerals and amino acids are widely used to reduce the physiological and biochemical effects of stress in pets (Avcı et al., 2008).

Carcass and meat quality traits of male and female lambs are important considerations in planning gender-based production and developing a marketing strategy for the product. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of sex on carcass and meat quality of Kivircik and Karacabey Merino lambs. Twenty male and 17 female lambs were used. Lambs were weaned at 45 days old and then fed ad libitum with concentrates and roughage until slaughter at 120 days. The study was carried out in two experiments at three-month intervals. Kivircik lambs had greater dressing percentage (47.96% vs 46.49%, P <0.05) and omental-mesenteric fat proportion (1.71% vs 1.10%, P <0.01), while Karacabey Merino lambs had a greater proportion of skin (11.14% vs 9.42%, P =0.001). Breed had no influence on water-holding capacity, shear force, L* and hue values (P >0.05). The meat of Karacabey Merino lambs had greater a*, b* and chroma values after blooming for 24 hours than meat from Kivircik lambs. Male lambs had greater proportions of head (5.39% vs 4.62%, P <0.001), feet (2.65% vs 2.46%, P <0.01) and visceral organs (4.53% vs 4.15%, P <0.05), while females had a greater proportion of visceral fat (1.76% vs 1.05%, P =0.001). Meat from female lambs was darker than meat from male lambs. In conclusion, under intensive conditions, the indigenous Kivircik breed had similar carcass and meat quality characteristics to the Karacabey Merino, a wool and meat breed.