Effects of thymol and carvacrol feed supplementation on

LUNA, A.; LABAQUE, M. C.; ZYGADLO, J.A.; MARIN R.H.

POULTRY SCIENCE

Poultry Science Association

Lugar: Savoy ; Año: 2010 vol. 89 p. 366 - 370

0032-5791

Poultry meat is particularly prone to oxidative deterioration due to its high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The present study evaluates the effects of thymol and its isomer carvacrol on lipid oxidation when supplemented to the feed. Supplementation with the antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was used as a positive control. Thus, broiler chickens were assigned to one of four treatments: vehicle (control), 150 ppm of BHT (positive control), 150 ppm of thymol, or 150 ppm of carvacrol. Breast and thigh samples were taken at 0, 5 and 10 d of 4°C storage. Lipid oxidation was determined by the analysis of 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs). Samples storage for 5 to 10 d significantly increased the levels of TBARs. Feed supplementation did not significantly affect breast sample oxidation. However, after 5 and 10 d of storage, increasingly higher values of TBARs were detected in thigh samples of the control group in comparison to the three supplemented groups. Interestingly, same lower values of TBARs were detected between those feed supplemented groups. Therefore, the application of the “natural” antioxidants thymol or carvacrol could be useful to improve poultry meat quality.