Thymol and carvacrol supplementation in poultry health and performance

Abstract

Background: Thymol and carvacrol as natural essential oils and phenol compounds are components derived from some medicinal plants, such as thyme and oregano species. Objectives:The increasing demands in organic and healthy meat and egg consumption in human society have made it necessary to consider alternative natural compounds for the replacement of chemical compounds in poultry production. The chemical compounds can remain in meat and eggs and cause complications in human health. Therefore, these natural compounds can be fed with a higher safety in poultry production with specific effects. In this regard, the role of thymol and carvacrol as natural compounds in the poultry production has been discussed in the review. Methods:In this study, by searching for keywords related to thymol and carvacrol in poultry production in Google Scholar database, the articles related to different aspects of the biological effects of these two phytogenes in poultry production were selected and analyzed.Results: A review of previous studies has shown that thymol and carvacrol possess a wide range of biological activities, including antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, modulating of immunity response and regulating of the gut microbial population. Also, in meat type chickens can promote growth and influence feed utilization. The beneficial effect of this compound was evaluated in hepatic toxicity and demonstrated as a hepatoprotective compound in chickens. Furthermore, these compounds can affect the behavior of layers and influence egg composition, eggshell thickness, and the sensory quality of eggs. Conclusion:It seems that with the increasing demand for healthy protein products, these compounds can be used to improve performance as a substitute alternative for chemical compounds in healthy poultry farms.

The Impact of Paulownia Leaves Extract on Performance, Blood Biochemical, Antioxidant, Immunological Indices, and Related Gene Expression of Broilers

“…In the same context, aromatic herbs and their extracts are well-known to enhance the flavor and palatability of feed, hence increasing growth and feed efficiency ( 40 ). In particular, thyme essential oil has a significant influence on feed conversion ratio because it could improve beneficial microbial population development and increase nutrient absorption.…”

In Vitro-Antibacterial Activity of Five Essential Oils against Salmonella enterica Subspecies enterica Serovar Typhimurium of Poultry Origin and their Correlation with Antibiotics

“…But, because of less toxicity of EOs than Abs, they are excellent alternatives to Abs [24]. Similar to antibi-otic growth promoters (AGP), the productive performance of the poultry was enhanced after supplementation of cinnamaldehyde EO [28], carvacrol EO, and thymol EO [29]. Hence, apart from the therapeutic purpose they can be used as a supplement in poultry for better production.…”

Natural Compounds: A Hopeful Promise as an Antibiofilm Agent Against Candida Species

“…Thymol, 2-isopropyl-5-methyl phenol, is an isomeric phenolic monoterpene with a strong odor and good solubility in alcohol and other organic solvents but is poorly water-soluble. Thymol is abundantly found in certain plants and has been used in traditional medicine for many years because of its different pharmacological properties, such as anti-rheumatic, antioxidant, antiseptic, anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal ( Salehi et al, 2018 ; Schnitzler, 2019 ; Kowalczyk et al, 2020 ; Gholami-Ahangaran et al, 2022 ).…”