Effects of Oregano Essential Oil Supplementation to Diets of Broiler Chicks with Delayed Feeding After Hatching. Morphological Development of Small Intestine Segments

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of oregano essential oil (OEO) on the morphological development of small intestine of broilers with different feeding times (immediate, 24, 48 or 72 h posthatching delayed feeding) from d 0 to 14. The diets were supplemented with: no, 250 or 500 mg/kg of the OEO (OEO250 and OEO500, respectively). Fasting for 72 h significantly increased the weight and length of small intestine segments of broilers on d 14. The OEO250 and OEO500 significantly increased the jejunum villus height of chickens fed immediately and the duodenum villus height of broilers fasted for 48 h. The duodenum villus surface area of chickens fasted for 48 h and the ileum villus surface area of broilers fasted for 24 h were significantly increased by the OEO250. The OEO500 significantly enhanced the duodenum villus surface area of broilers fasted for 24 h and their ileum villus surface area fasted for 48 h. The crypt depths of small intestine segments of broilers fasted for 72 h were significantly reduced by OEO250 and OEO500. In conclusion, the dose of phenolic compounds in OEO reaching the small intestine might be enough for protecting the intestinal epithelial cells from damages of toxins and for removing the negative effects of delayed feeding on the morphological development of all the small intestine segments of broiler chicks on d 14.

Influence of early feeding with different diet composition on performance and intestinal morphology of layer-type chicks during the brooding period

“…In the present study, the lower body weights of fasted chicks after the holding time (72-h posthatch) and at the end of the experiment (day 42 of age) were in agreement with previous studies (Abed et al, 2011;Sarıca et al, 2014;Sarlak et al, 2016) which reported that feed deprivation during the first 48 h after hatching had adverse effects on the growth performance of broilers. Decreased body weights of fasted chicks could be mainly attributed to a decrease in feed intake and FCR (Abed et al, 2011;Shinde et al, 2015;Sarlak et al, 2016).…”

“…It was suggested by Sklan and Noy (2003) that chicks might have high protein requirements post-hatching for specific tissues development such as the small intestine (Sklan, 2001). Previous studies (e.g., Mikec et al, 2006;Abed et al, 2011;Sarıca et al, 2014) demonstrated that birds deprived of feed post-hatch had lower intestinal weight and length in comparison to those fed typical maize-soybean meal diet. The highest weight and length of the small intestine in the fasted group at day 28 of age in the current study was rather unexpected.…”

Comparing the effects of a combined phytogenic feed additive with an individual essential oil of oregano on intestinal morphology and microflora in broilers

“…In the current study, broilers fed 300 ppm individual OEO in their diet had larger VH, villus surface area, VH to CD ratio and lower CD in jejunum than those fed either control diet or CBP. This observation is in agreement with the findings of Sarica et al (2014), which indicated that dietary supplementation of 250 and 500 ppm OEO in broiler diets increased the jejunum VH; moreover feeding 250 and 500 ppm of OEO enhanced ileum villus surface area of broilers at 14 d of age when faced with 24 and 48 h post-hatch delayed feeding, respectively. Increasing villus surface area, which provides greater absorption of available nutrients, is related to VH enlargement (Awad et al 2008).…”

“…In the current study, broilers fed CBP had higher duodenum relative length than those fed 500 ppm OEO. Sarica et al (2014) indicated that OEO (250 or 500 ppm) did not influence jejunum relative length in 3-d-old chicks, although the relative length of ileum was higher by 500 ppm OEO at d 14 when compared to control. Brenes et al (2008) indicated that relative weights of pancreas and liver and relative lengths of duodenum, jejunum and ceca increased in response to increasing chickpea seed which contains antinutritional factors such as protease inhibitors and polyphenols.…”

“…carvacrol potentially improve intestinal integrity which is responsible for nutrients' absorption (Du et al 2016). It is also suggested that dietary OEO by reducing the number of total harmful bacteria in the intestinal wall, through lower adhesion to the epithelium, decreases the production of toxic compounds and damage of intestinal epithelial cell of broilers (Garcia et al 2007;Sarica et al 2014).…”