Effects of thymol feed supplementation on female Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix) behavioral fear response

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

ANIMAL FEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2013

0377-8401

Dietary supplementation with thymol has been shown to improve the oxidative stabilityof eggs and meat during storage. In addition, in vitro studies have shown that this compoundcan act as a positive allosteric modulator of the GABAA receptor, similarly to itsanalog phenolic compound propofol. Hence, it is conceivable that thymol could also presentanxyolitic and/or fear reducing properties, probably also affecting their locomotor activity.Considering that fear-inducing/stressful situations are practically unavoidable duringbirds’ rearing, the thymol feed supplementation could therefore present beneficial consequencesin terms of animal welfare. This study evaluates potential fear reducing propertiesof thymol feed supplementation and its potential effects on locomotor activity by assessingfemale Japanese quail behavioral responses during brief mechanical restraint and openfieldtests. Birds were evaluated after 2 and 15 days of supplementation. During the briefmechanical restraints, the latencies to struggle were significantly (P<0.05) shorter and thenumber of struggling bouts significantly higher (P<0.05) in the thymol group than in theirControl counterparts suggesting a fear reducing effect. No effects on locomotor behaviorwere detected during open-field testing. The results suggest that dietary supplementationwith thymol may help reduce female fear responses when birds are exposed to stressfulsituation without affecting the bird’s locomotor activity.