1. The present experiment was conducted to describe the effects of thymol, cinnamaldehyde and a commercial preparation of essential oil components (CRINA Poultry), in female broilers. Feed and water were provided for ad libitum consumption. 2. Feed intake, weight gain and feed:gain ratio were not different among the treatments. Water intake was significantly lowered by cinnamaldehyde. Relative liver weight (g/100 g of body weight) was highest in birds given thymol, but this was seen only at the age of 21 d and not at 40 d. Patterns of digestive enzymes in pancreatic tissue were similar for the 4 treatments. 3. Amylase activity in intestinal digesta was highest in chickens given CRINA Poultry for 21 d, but the effect had disappeared after 40 d. Ileal digestibility coefficients for starch and protein were high and identical for all treatments. 4. Fatty acid composition of diet was reflected in that of adipose tissue. Plasma lipid concentrations were not changed by any dietary treatment. 5. Thus, the present results show no effect of essential oil constituents on growth performance in female broiler chickens, but it cannot be excluded that positive effects would have been observed under less hygienic environmental conditions or when using a less digestible diet.

No abstract

No abstract

In a cross-over trial, five healthy dogs were fed a dry food without or with 1% (w/w) oligofructose to assess any oligofructose-induced effects on the faecal bacterial profile, nitrogen excretion and mineral absorption. The diets were given for a period of 3 weeks. Oligofructose feeding significantly raised the number of Bifidobacteria, Streptococci and Clostridia in faeces. The numbers of faecal anaerobic and aerobic bacteria were raised after ingestion of oligofructose. The faecal pH was unchanged. There was no effect of oligofructose feeding on the route of nitrogen excretion which was associated with a lack of effect on faecal ammonium and urinary urea excretion. It is suggested that the absence or presence of an effect of oligofructose on urinary and faecal nitrogen excretion depends on the background composition of the diet, in particular the content of non-digestible, fermentable carbohydrates. In the diets used, the content of non-digestible, fermentable carbohydrates was not measured. Both apparent magnesium and calcium absorption were significantly raised by oligofructose feeding, but phosphorus absorption was unaffected. The data presented may contribute to the qualification of the use of oligofructose in dog foods.

To study the effect of lactulose on the route of nitrogen excretion, we fed six healthy, adult dogs on diets containing either 0, 1 or 3 g lactulose/MJ metabolizable energy according to a 3 x 3 Latin square design. The results were analysed to identify statistically significant linear trend effects of lactulose. Faecal pH was significantly lowered by lactulose. Faecal ammonium and nitrogen excretion tended to be raised by lactulose feeding whereas urinary urea excretion was significantly reduced. Lactulose feeding significantly lowered apparent nitrogen digestibility. It is concluded that lactulose feeding shifts nitrogen excretion from urine to faeces in dogs which may be beneficial for liver patients. The data are in line with the concept that lactulose stimulates bacterial growth in the colon which in turn enhances faecal nitrogen excretion and lowers the entry of colonic ammonia into the bloodstream, leading to a lesser workload for the liver and less urinary nitrogen excretion. Lactulose consumption was also found to produce a dose-dependent increase in the apparent absorption of calcium and magnesium, but not phosphorus.