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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #352016
Research Project: Identification of the Ecological Niches and Development of Intervention Strategies to Reduce Pathogenic Foodborne Pathogens in Poultry

Location: Food and Feed Safety Research

Title: Performance, carcass variables, and meat quality of broilers supplemented with dietary Mexican oregano oil

Author
item CÁZARES-GALLEGOS, RUBÉN - Universidad Autonoma De Nuevo Leon
item SILVA-VAZQUEZ, RAMON - Technological Institute Of Parral
item HERNANDEZ-MARTINEZ, CARLOS - Universidad Autonoma De Nuevo Leon
item GUTIERREZ-SOTO, JUANITA - Universidad Autonoma De Nuevo Leon
item KAWAS-GARZA, JORGE - Universidad Autonoma De Nuevo Leon
item Hume, Michael
item MENDEZ-ZAMORA, GERARDO - Universidad Autonoma De Nuevo Leon

Submitted to: Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/12/2018
Publication Date: 5/9/2019
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/6961200
Citation: Cázares-Gallegos, R., Silva-Vazquez, R., Hernandez-Martinez, C.A., Gutierrez-Soto, J.G., Kawas-Garza, J.R., Hume, M.E., Mendez-Zamora, G. 2019. Performance, carcass variables, and meat quality of broilers supplemented with dietary Mexican oregano oil. Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science. 21(1):1-10. https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9061-2018-0801.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9061-2018-0801

Interpretive Summary: The current study was conducted to evaluate the addition of Mexican oregano essential oil (MOO) to broiler diets on performance, carcass variables, breast meat quality, and sensory evaluation. Broilers chicks were placed in treatments groups and given 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 mg/kg of MOO in the diets. MOO affected body weight, feed and water intake, and feed efficiency. MOO at 200 and 400 mg/kg gave better results at 7, 14, and 28 d than the other diets. MOO at 1,000 mg/kg improved slaughter weight and water loss in cooked breast meat. The 200 and 400 treatments improved the appearance of the breast meat. MOO at all levels improved breast meat texture and did not change sensory evaluation in comparison to the control with no MOO in the feed. Overall, Mexican oregano essential oil, as a natural additive in broiler diets and a plant-derived alternative to antibiotics, improved meat quality when added to feed at 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg. These results are of interest to producers and researchers seeking alternatives to traditional antibiotics to improve meat quality in broiler production.

Technical Abstract: The current study was conducted to evaluate the Mexican oregano essential oil (MOO; Lippia berlandieri Schauer) supplementation in broiler diets on performance, carcass variables, meat quality, and sensory evaluation. One-day-old mixed-sex broilers were placed in treatments groups and given MOO in diets: 0 = control diet; 200 = diet + 200 mg/kg of MOO; 400 = diet + 400 mg/kg of MOO; 600 = diet + 600 mg/kg of MOO; 800 = diet + 800 mg/kg of MOO; 1000 = diet + 1000 mg/kg of MOO. The MOO affected (P < 0.05) body weight, feed and water intake, and feed efficiency. The 200 and 400 mg/kg formulations gave better results at 7, 14, and 28 d than the other diets. MOO affected (P < 0.05) slaughter weight and hot carcass yield, decreased meat pH and cooking loss with 1000 mg/kg. The 200 and 400 treatments increased redness (a*) but reduced yellowness (b*). Meat hardness, cohesiveness, and resilience were affected (P < 0.05) by MOO but did not influence (P > 0.05) the sensory evaluation. The Mexican oregano essential oil, as a natural additive in broiler diets and a phytogenic alternative to traditional performance enhancers, improved meat quality in 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg concentrations.