The effects of carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and capsicum oleoresin addition to broiler diet on performance, meet quality, blood parameters and gene expression

In this study, the effects of capsicum oleoresin (CAP, 150 mg/kg), carvacrol (CAR, 150 mg/kg), cinnamaldehyde (CIN, 150 mg/kg) and equal amount of mixtures (CAP+CAR+CIN, 50 mg/kg each, capsicum oleoresin + carvacrol + cinnamaldehyde) addition to broiler diet on the fattening performance, carcass properties, meat quality, some blood parameters, intestinal microflora and IGF1 gene expression were investigated. In the trial, four hundred Ross-308 day-old, both genders broiler chicks were randomly distributed to five dietary treatments, each with five replicates. Among these five dietary treatment groups formed for the trial, the control group was fed without feed additives (control), the second group with 150 mg capsicum oleoresin for each kg of feed, the third group with 150 mg carvacrol for each kg of feed, the fourth group with 150 mg cinnamaldehyde for each kg of feed, and the last group with 150 mg mixtures for each kg of feed. The trial was maintained to six weeks. The effects of the dietary treatments on the body weight on the 7, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days of age and the body weight gain between 0-7, 14-21, 21-28 and 35-42 days of trial were found to be significant (P<0.05). Especially in the group fed on diet added CAP+CAR+CIN, the treatments had a significant effect on feed intake and feed conversion ratio as well as body weight and body weight gain when compared to the control group on a periodic basis (P<0.05). In addition, the effect of the treatments on livability is insignificant (P>0.05). Among carcass properties, only carcass yield, organ-related properties (glandular stomach, gizzard, total intestine, duodenum, jejunum, ileum and large intestine weights), thigh meat sensory properties (taste, softness, juiciness and general liking), physical properties of breast and thigh meat (thawing loss, cooking loss, water holding capacity, firmness and toughness), color property of thigh meat (L values), chemical properties of breast meat (crude fat, crude protein, fatty acids such as linoleic, eicosenoic, EPA, lignoceric acids, ∑MUFA and ∑n-3 fatty acids), chemical properties of thigh meat (dry matter, crude fat, crude protein, fatty acids such as linoleic, EPA, behenic acids and ∑MUFA, ∑PUFA and ∑n-6 fatty acids), blood parameters (AST, triglyceride, LDL, total protein and albumin values) and the number of Lactobacillus spp. in broiler ileums were significantly affected from addition of capsicum oleoresin, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and their mixtures (P<0.05). Treatments' effects on color properties of thigh meat (a, b values), all sensory and color properties of breast meat (L, a, b values), lipid peroxidation, pH values of breast and thigh meat and IGF1 gene expression were found to be insignificant (P>0.05). In conclusion, the addition of 150 mg/kg capsicum oleoresin, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and mixtures of different proportions to broiler diets showed similar effects on examined properties and criteria. However, it was seen that especially mixtures were found to improve performance, carcass properties, some blood parameters and intestinal microflora in broilers.