Effects of oregano essential oil with or without feed enzymes on growth performance, digestive enzyme, nutrient digestibility, lipid metabolism and immune response of broilers fed on wheat–soybean meal diets

Abstract

1. The study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplementation of enzyme and oregano essential oil at two levels, alone or together, on performance, digestive enzyme, nutrient digestibility, lipid metabolism and immune response of broilers fed on wheat-soybean meal based diets. 2. The following dietary treatments were used from d 0 to 21. Diet 1 (control, CONT): a commercial diet containing no enzyme or oregano essential oil, diet 2 (ENZY): supplemented with enzyme, diet 3 (EO250): supplemented with essential oil at 250 mg/kg feed, diet 4 (EO500): supplemented with essential oil at 500 mg/kg feed, diet 5 (ENZY + EO250): supplemented with enzyme and essential oil at 250 mg/kg, and diet 6 (ENZY + EO500): supplemented with enzyme and essential oil at 500 mg/kg. 3. Birds fed on diets containing ENZY, EO250 and ENZY + EO250 had significantly higher weight gain than those given CONT diet from d 0 to 7. No significant effects on feed intake, feed conversion ratio, mortality, organ weights except for jejunum weight and intestinal lengths was found with either enzyme or essential oil, alone or in combination, over the 21-d growth period. The supplementation of essential oil together with enzyme decreased jejunum weight compared with essential oil alone. 4. Supplementation with enzyme significantly decreased viscosity and increased dry matter of digesta, but did not alter pH of digesta. There was no effect of essential oil alone at either concentration on viscosity, dry matter or pH of digesta. A significant decrease in viscosity of digesta appeared when essential oil was used with together enzyme. 5. The supplementation of essential oil at both levels with or without enzyme significantly increased chymotrypsin activity in the digestive system, and improved crude protein digestibility. 6. The higher concentration of essential oil with and without enzyme significantly increased serum total cholesterol concentrations. No significant effect on immune response was found with either enzyme or essential oil, alone or together. 7. Enzymes and essential oil had different modes of actions. The supplementation of enzyme with essential oil in diets is likely more effective in view of performance, nutrient digestibility, enzyme activities and immune system.

Effects of Phytogenic Additives and Organic Acids, alone or in combination, on the Performance, Intestinal Quality and Immune Responses of Broiler Chickens

“…In some countries, due to the human health concern on the use of antimicrobial agents and their effects on antimicrobial resistance in humans, certain AGP have already been banned, and there is a possibility of future restrictions on their use worldwide; therefore, non-antibiotic alternatives to control diseases and promote broiler growth, such as organic acids (Vieira et al, 2008), probiotics (Mountzouris et al, 2010), prebiotics (Patterson & Burkholder, 2003), phytogenic additives (Hernández et al, 2004), and essential oils (Basmacioğlu Malayoğlu et al, 2010),are of great interest. The use of phytogenic additives (PA) in poultry feeds has been investigated relative to their stimulation of digestive enzymes (Basmacioğlu Malayoğluet al, 2010), antimicrobial activity (Mitsch et al, 2004), antifungal activity (Gowdaet al, 2004), antiparasitical activity (Giannenas et al, 2003), antioxidant effects (Ciftci et al, 2010;Zhang et al, 2013), and immuno stimulant action (Chen et al, 2003).…”

The influence of probiotic additives or multienzyme composition on blood biochemical parameters and milk quality of Lithuanian Black-and-White cattle

“…Aromatic additives have been documented to improve nutrient digestibility in swine (Maenner et al, 2011) and in poultry (Basmacioglu Malayoglu et al, 2010). We think that aromatic additives are often claimed to improve the flavor and palatability of feed, thus increasing voluntary feed intake resulting in improved productivity.…”

Effect of corn replacement with graded levels of wheat screening and enzyme supplementation on performance, blood lipids, viscosity and jejunal histomorphology of finisher broilers

“…Slominski et al (2004) in a study on 16 different samples of wheat screening showed that NSP content of samples varied from 72 to 118 g/kg with the mean of 100 g/kg. The NSP fraction increases digesta viscosity and protects lipids, starch, and protein, thereby decreasing nutrient digestibility, modifying intestinal microflora in the digestive system, reducing physiological and morphological changes, and depressing the growth performance (Preston et al, 2001;Basmacioglu et al, 2010). The use of NSP-degrading enzymes as dietary supplements, may positively affect poultry health and productivity fed diets containing grains such as wheat, rye, barley and oats (Basmacioglu et al, 2010).…”

“…The use of NSP-degrading enzymes as dietary supplements, may positively affect poultry health and productivity fed diets containing grains such as wheat, rye, barley and oats (Basmacioglu et al, 2010). Many studies have shown that an appropriate exogenous enzyme product supplemented to wheat-based diets removed anti-nutritional factors from feeds, reduced intestinal viscosity, increased nutrients digestibility, and resulted in a better feed efficiency in broilers (Wang et al, 2005;Basmacioglu et al, 2010). Therefore, the following study was designed to study the effect of different levels of wheat screenings with or without a blend enzyme on performance, carcass characteristics, gastrointestinal parameters, serum lipid metabolites, and jejunal histomorphology of finisher broilers.…”

“…The NSP fraction increases digesta viscosity and protects lipids, starch, and protein, thereby decreasing nutrient digestibility, modifying intestinal microflora in the digestive system, reducing physiological and morphological changes, and depressing the growth performance (Preston et al, 2001;Basmacioglu et al, 2010). The use of NSP-degrading enzymes as dietary supplements, may positively affect poultry health and productivity fed diets containing grains such as wheat, rye, barley and oats (Basmacioglu et al, 2010). Many studies have shown that an appropriate exogenous enzyme product supplemented to wheat-based diets removed anti-nutritional factors from feeds, reduced intestinal viscosity, increased nutrients digestibility, and resulted in a better feed efficiency in broilers (Wang et al, 2005;Basmacioglu et al, 2010).…”