In vitro antibacterial activity of thymol and carvacrol and their effects on broiler chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens

• DOI: 10.1186/s40104-015-0055-7
• Publication Date: 2015-12-24T01:22:47Z
• Authors: Encun Du; Liping Gan; Zhui Li; Weiwei Wang; Dan Liu; Yuming Guo
• Keywords: Carvacrol; Clostridium perfringens; Thymol; Pathogenic Escherichia coli

In the post-antibiotic era, essential oils (EO) are promising alternatives to growth-promoting antibiotics. The aim of present study was investigate antibacterial activities an EO product and its components thymol carvacrol in vitro, efficacy control Clostridium perfringens challenge broiler chickens.The vitro minimum inhibitory concentration assay showed strong activity product, thymol, against pathogenic Escherichia coli, C. perfringens, Salmonella strains, weak towards beneficial Lactobacillus strains. Besides, additive effect observed between carvacrol. vivo carried out with 448 male chicks following a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement test effects supplementation (0, 60, 120, or 240 mg/kg wheat-based diet), pathogen (with without oral gavage from day 14 20) their interactions. Each treatment consisted eight replicate pens (seven birds/pen). led macroscopic gut lesions, resulted significant increase ileal populations subgroup (P ≤ 0.05) on 21. Dietary did not influence numbers, but linearly alleviated intestinal lesions 21 28 = 0.010 0.036, respectively), decreased ileum increased dosages 0.027 0.071 for 28, respectively). For caecum, quadratically influenced 0.002), numbers total bacteria 0.026 0.060, Mean concentrations small intestine were 0.21 0.20 μg/g digesta (wet weight), respectively, birds fed 60 EO, 0.80 0.71 μg/g, EO.These results indicated that dietary could affect microbiota alleviate broilers, which may contribute controlling infection chickens.