This study aimed to evaluate the influence of an organic acid (OA) and essential oil (EO) blends, individually or in combination, on growth performance, carcass parameters, apparent digestibility, intestinal microflora and intestinal morphology of broilers. A total of 480 one-d-old male Ross 308 chicks were randomly assigned to 4 treatments consisting of 4 replicates each (n = 30 birds in each replicate). Dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet (control), and basal diet supplemented with 2 g/kg OA blend (OAB), 300 mg/kg EO blend (EOB), or with 2 g/kg OA and 300 mg/kg EO blend (OAB-EOB) for 42 d. The dietary supplementation with EO blend or in combination with OA blend increased body weight gain and improved feed efficiency as compared to control. Dietary treatments had no significant effects on feed consumption or relative organ weights of broilers. The OAB diet increased carcass yield compared to the control diet but the lowest carcass yield occurred with the OAB-EOB combination. Birds fed on EOB and OAB-EOB diets had lower ileum Escherichia coli counts than birds fed on the control diet. There was no significant effect of treatments on apparent digestibility at 16-21 d but the EOB and OAB-EOB diets increased apparent digestibility of dry matter and crude protein during the finisher period (d 37-42) compared to the control diet. Birds fed on the EOB and OAB-EOB diets had greater villus height in the ileum at 21 and 42 d of age and had lower crypt depth in the ileum at 42 d of age than birds given the control diet. In conclusion, beneficial effects of the use of EO blend individually or in combination with the OA blend were observed but the OA blend alone was ineffective. Furthermore, the use of the combination of OA and EO was more effective, in some respects, than their individual use.

Objective: This study was conducted to assess antioxidant activities, total phenolic contents and main phenolic compounds of essential oil blend (EOB) and grape seed extract (GSE). Material and Methods: The antioxidant activities of EOB (composed of oregano, clove and cumin essential oils) and GSE were determined by in vitro methods such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). The total phenolic contents of EOB and GSE were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and calculated as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). The main phenolic compounds of EOB were calculated from the individual essential oils compounds analyzed by GC/MS. The condensed tannin concentration of GSE was measured by the butanol/HCl method. Results: The antioxidant activities of EOB and GSE were determined by two different in vitro methods provided the values of 79.0 % and 74.7 % for DPPH, and 276.51 µM/100g and 83.0 µM/100g for TEAC, respectively. The total phenolic contents of EOB and GSE were 437.84 mg GAE/g and 175.50 mg GAE/g, respectively. The main phenolic compounds of the EOB were carvacrol (42.08 %), thymol (4.17 %), eugenol (22.38 %), cuminaldhyde (5.04 %) and safranal (2.69 %). The condensed tannin concentration in GSE was 45.88 g/100g. Conclusion: According to results obtained this study, EOB and GSE have antioxidant potential. However, EOB showed higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity determined by two methods (DPPH radical scavenging activity and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) than GSE. The results obtained by both methods are compatible and quite similar. It is necessary to support these in vitro results with in vivo studies. ÖZ Amaç: Bu çalışma esansiyel yağ karışımı (EYK) ve üzüm çekirdeği ekstraktının (ÜÇE) iki farklı yöntemle antioksidan aktivitelerini, toplam fenolik madde içerikleri ile başlıca fenolik bileşenlerini saptamak amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Materyal ve Metot: EYK (kekik, karanfil, kimyon karışımı) ve ÜÇE'nin antioksidan aktiviteleri 2.2-difenil-1-pikrilhidrazi hidrat (DPPH) radikal süpürme aktivitesi ve troloks eşdeğeri antioksidan kapasitesi (TEAC) olmak üzere in vitro yöntemlerle belirlenmiştir. EYK ve ÜÇE'nin toplam fenolik madde içerikleri Folin-Ciocaltaeu yöntemine göre saptanmıştır ve gallik asit eş değeri (GAE) olarak hesaplanmıştır. EYK'nın başlıca fenolik bileşenleri her bir esansiyel yağın GC/MS verileri esas alınarak hesaplanmıştır. ÜÇE'nin kondanse tanen konsantrasyonu butanol-HCl yöntemi ile saptanmıştır. Bulgular: EYK ve ÜÇE'nin iki farklı in vitro yönteme göre belirlenen antioksidan aktiviteleri DPPH için sırasıyla % 79.0 ve % 74.7, TEAC için sırasıyla 276.51 µM/100g ve 83.0 µM/100g'dır. EYK ve ÜÇE'nin toplam fenolik madde içerikleri sırasıyla 437.84 mg GAE/g ve 175.50 mg GAE/g'dır. EYK'nın başlıca fenolik bileşenleri karvakrol (% 42.08), timol (% 4.17), ojenol (% 22.38), kuminaldehit (% 5.04) ve safranal (% 2.69)'dir. ÜÇE'nin yapısında kondanse tanen konsantrasyonu 45.88 g/100g'dır. Sonuç: Bu çalışmada...

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