The Effect of Thyme (Thymbra Spicata L Var. Spicata) Essential Oil on the Antioxidant Potential and Meat Quality of Japanese Quail Fed in Various Stocking Densities

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the antioxidant effect of the Thyme (Thymbra spicata L. var. spicata) essential oil on meat quality of Japanese Quail fed in various stocking densities. In this study, a total of up to 7-day age 300 Japanese Quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) chickens were used and theexperimental period lasted for 28 days. The chickens were divided into 6 groups, each containing 50 chicks Control group (CONT), High stocking density control group (HSD-CONT), an antibiotic group (HSD-ANT), zahter oil groups (HSD-T1, T2, T3). At the end of the study, serum MDA level was found significantly higher in the HSD-ANT group than the other groups (P<0.01). It was determined that the stocking density has a significant effect on the pH and colour of brisket (P<0.01). Moreover, inclusions of thyme essential oil supplementation into the diets of quails fed in high stocking density provided various levels of improvements on antioxidant potantial, and especially thyme EO at 600 mg per kg were found more effective to ameliorete the detrimental effects of oxidative stress caused by high stocking density. © 2019 Ataturk Universitesi. All rights reserved.