Volume 16, Issue 2 (5-2025)
Res Anim Prod 2025, 16(2): 66-77 |
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Sahraei M, Lotfollahian H, Hosseini S A, Khalkhali-Evrigh R. (2025). The Effect of Adding Thyme and Oregano Extracts and a Probiotic on Meat Quality and Tibia Bone in Broilers after a Feed Restriction Period. Res Anim Prod. 16(2), 66-77. doi:10.61882/rap.2024.1465
URL: http://rap.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1465-en.html
URL: http://rap.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1465-en.html
1- Animal Science Research Department, Ardabil Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Ardabil, Iran
2- Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
3- Department of Animal Science Research, Ardabil Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Ardabil, Iran
2- Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
3- Department of Animal Science Research, Ardabil Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Ardabil, Iran
Abstract: (600 Views)
Extended Abstract
Background: Feed restriction is a method to control problems caused by rapid growth in the broiler industry. After the feed restriction period, the use of growth promoters can be a suitable option to compensate for the effects of the restriction. The use of antibiotics as growth promoters has been limited due to the increase in antibiotic resistance in recent decades. Therefore, it seems that the use of plant extracts, such as thyme and oregano, is a suitable and low-complication alternative to antibiotics due to their antibacterial, antifungal, anti-coccidial, anti-inflammatory, and microbial flora modulation properties. The use of herbal additives and growth promoters is a strategy to strengthen the compensatory growth phenomenon in broilers. Meat and bone quality in broiler chickens are economic traits. This study aimed to investigate the effects of using thyme, oregano, thyme-oregano, and a probiotic on meat quality and tibia bone status in broiler chickens after a feed restriction period.
Methods: A total of 480 one-day-old Ross-308 male broiler chickens were used in the current study. This experiment was conducted as a factorial experiment (2×5) in a completely randomized design including two feeding methods (full feed and restricted) and four types of additives (thyme extract, 300 g/ton of basal diet; oregano extract, 300 g/ton of basal diet; an equal weight ratio of thyme + oregano extract, 300 g/ton of basal diet; probiotic protoxin, 250 g/ton of basal diet) along with control diets (without additives). In the first step, chickens were divided into two separate experimental groups. The first group was fed freely as a control group, but the quantitative restriction was applied in the second group from the age of 8-14 days for 7 days (25% less than the control group). After the end of the restriction period, herbal additives and the probiotic were added to the diet of both groups. Acidity, water holding capacity, oxidative stability, peroxide index, and color were the factors used to measure meat quality. For the sensory evaluation of the meat, the right side of the breast from each replication after preparation was cooked at 170 °C in an electric oven for 40-45 minutes, depending on the weight of the samples. The evaluated traits in the experiment included smell, taste, crispness, juiciness, and general acceptability. To determine the ash, calcium, and phosphorus contents of the tibia bone in different treatments, two samples were selected from each replicate; their left tibia bone was separated and defatted by an autoclave at the end of the period. In the next step, after preparing the samples, the percentages of ash, calcium, and phosphorus were determined by the atomic absorption method. Data were analyzed statistically using the GLM procedure in SAS 9.1 software.
Results: Based on the results, acidity and meat redness (a*) in the feed-restricted group were higher than in free-feeding chickens, and the TBA index in the free-feeding method was higher than in the restricted group (P ≤ 0.05). The water holding capacity of the carcass in the treatment without an additive was lower than in the treatments that received the additive (P ≤ 0.05). Moreover, carcass acidity was the lowest in the probiotic-receiving group and the highest in the group without additives (P ≤ 0.05). The peroxide index in the treatment without additives was higher than in the others (P ≤ 0.05). The combination of thyme and oregano significantly increased the lightness of the breast meat compared to the other additives. The overal acceptability of meat in the treatment containing thyme, the combination of thyme-oregano, and the probiotic had a higher score than the treatment without additives (P ≤ 0.05). The use of the additive after the restriction period significantly affected the smell, juiciness, taste, crispiness, and overall acceptability of the breast meat, and the oregano had a lower score than the others in terms of smell (P ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, the juiciness, taste, and crispness scores of the oregano and the treatment without the additive were lower than the other treatments (P ≤ 0.05). Determining tibia bone content showed that the type of the additive had statistically significant effects on ash and calcium percentages (P ≤ 0.05), and the ash percentage in the group without an additive was lower than in the other treatments, except for the oregano treatment. The percentage of calcium was lower in the treatments without additives and higher in the probiotic-receiving treatment (P ≤ 0.05).
Conclusion: The obtained results show that the use of herbal additives (thyme and oregano) and the probiotic after a feed restriction period in the second week has favorable effects on various parameters of meat quality and the strength of tibia bone in boilers. The combination of thyme and oregano had a better effect on the sensory properties of the meat from broiler chickens, including aroma, juiciness, flavor, and tenderness, than their separate use. Since traits, such as the quality of the tibia bone, influence the health, welfare, and production of broiler chickens, as well as the sensory and chemical quality of the produced meat, which in turn affect marketability and customer satisfaction, using the findings from studies (such as the present research) can help improve these aspects. However, more studies are needed to identify appropriate additives, their combination, and the extent of their use.
Background: Feed restriction is a method to control problems caused by rapid growth in the broiler industry. After the feed restriction period, the use of growth promoters can be a suitable option to compensate for the effects of the restriction. The use of antibiotics as growth promoters has been limited due to the increase in antibiotic resistance in recent decades. Therefore, it seems that the use of plant extracts, such as thyme and oregano, is a suitable and low-complication alternative to antibiotics due to their antibacterial, antifungal, anti-coccidial, anti-inflammatory, and microbial flora modulation properties. The use of herbal additives and growth promoters is a strategy to strengthen the compensatory growth phenomenon in broilers. Meat and bone quality in broiler chickens are economic traits. This study aimed to investigate the effects of using thyme, oregano, thyme-oregano, and a probiotic on meat quality and tibia bone status in broiler chickens after a feed restriction period.
Methods: A total of 480 one-day-old Ross-308 male broiler chickens were used in the current study. This experiment was conducted as a factorial experiment (2×5) in a completely randomized design including two feeding methods (full feed and restricted) and four types of additives (thyme extract, 300 g/ton of basal diet; oregano extract, 300 g/ton of basal diet; an equal weight ratio of thyme + oregano extract, 300 g/ton of basal diet; probiotic protoxin, 250 g/ton of basal diet) along with control diets (without additives). In the first step, chickens were divided into two separate experimental groups. The first group was fed freely as a control group, but the quantitative restriction was applied in the second group from the age of 8-14 days for 7 days (25% less than the control group). After the end of the restriction period, herbal additives and the probiotic were added to the diet of both groups. Acidity, water holding capacity, oxidative stability, peroxide index, and color were the factors used to measure meat quality. For the sensory evaluation of the meat, the right side of the breast from each replication after preparation was cooked at 170 °C in an electric oven for 40-45 minutes, depending on the weight of the samples. The evaluated traits in the experiment included smell, taste, crispness, juiciness, and general acceptability. To determine the ash, calcium, and phosphorus contents of the tibia bone in different treatments, two samples were selected from each replicate; their left tibia bone was separated and defatted by an autoclave at the end of the period. In the next step, after preparing the samples, the percentages of ash, calcium, and phosphorus were determined by the atomic absorption method. Data were analyzed statistically using the GLM procedure in SAS 9.1 software.
Results: Based on the results, acidity and meat redness (a*) in the feed-restricted group were higher than in free-feeding chickens, and the TBA index in the free-feeding method was higher than in the restricted group (P ≤ 0.05). The water holding capacity of the carcass in the treatment without an additive was lower than in the treatments that received the additive (P ≤ 0.05). Moreover, carcass acidity was the lowest in the probiotic-receiving group and the highest in the group without additives (P ≤ 0.05). The peroxide index in the treatment without additives was higher than in the others (P ≤ 0.05). The combination of thyme and oregano significantly increased the lightness of the breast meat compared to the other additives. The overal acceptability of meat in the treatment containing thyme, the combination of thyme-oregano, and the probiotic had a higher score than the treatment without additives (P ≤ 0.05). The use of the additive after the restriction period significantly affected the smell, juiciness, taste, crispiness, and overall acceptability of the breast meat, and the oregano had a lower score than the others in terms of smell (P ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, the juiciness, taste, and crispness scores of the oregano and the treatment without the additive were lower than the other treatments (P ≤ 0.05). Determining tibia bone content showed that the type of the additive had statistically significant effects on ash and calcium percentages (P ≤ 0.05), and the ash percentage in the group without an additive was lower than in the other treatments, except for the oregano treatment. The percentage of calcium was lower in the treatments without additives and higher in the probiotic-receiving treatment (P ≤ 0.05).
Conclusion: The obtained results show that the use of herbal additives (thyme and oregano) and the probiotic after a feed restriction period in the second week has favorable effects on various parameters of meat quality and the strength of tibia bone in boilers. The combination of thyme and oregano had a better effect on the sensory properties of the meat from broiler chickens, including aroma, juiciness, flavor, and tenderness, than their separate use. Since traits, such as the quality of the tibia bone, influence the health, welfare, and production of broiler chickens, as well as the sensory and chemical quality of the produced meat, which in turn affect marketability and customer satisfaction, using the findings from studies (such as the present research) can help improve these aspects. However, more studies are needed to identify appropriate additives, their combination, and the extent of their use.
Keywords: Compensatory growth, Growth promoters, Herbal additives, Meat acceptability, Water holding capacity
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