Influence of Dietary Thyme Extract (Thymus vulgaris) on Performance, Purine Derivatives, Cellulase Activity and Ruminal Fermentation Parameters in Fattening Lambs and Goat Kids

Subject Areas : Camel

S. Shahravan ¹ , T. Ghoorchi ² , B. Dastar ³ , A.H. Toghdori ⁴ , M. Mohajer ⁵

1 - Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
2 - Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
3 - Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
4 - Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
5 - Department of animal and Poultry Nutrition and Physiology Research, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran (ASRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

Received: 2023-02-15 Accepted : 2023-08-17 Published : 2023-09-01

Keywords: microbial protein, Ruminal fermentation, Thyme extract, Enzyme activities,

Abstract :

This study was investigated to compare the effects of thyme extract (Thymus vulgaris) on performance, ruminal fermentation, cellulase enzyme activity and microbial protein synthesis in fattening lambs and goat kids. For this purpose, 15 kids (average initial BW of 17.3±1.2 kg, 3 month-old) and 15 lambs (average initial BW of 21.4±1.5 kg, 3 month-old) were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatment: 1) control (without thyme extract), 2) supplemented with 250 mg thyme extract, 3) supplemented with 500 mg thyme extract. Animals were housed in individual pens for 84 days. Experimental results showed that different levels of thyme extract had a significant effect on daily weight gain and feed intake in both species, so that in animals fed 250 mg of thyme extract was higher than the other treatments (P<0.01). Rumen pH was not affected by experimental treatments. The lowest NH3-N was observed in the treatment containing 250 mg of thyme extract (P<0.01). The total concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA) as well as butyrate and acetate in ruminal fluid decreased significantly with increasing thyme extract; but propionate was increased in kids and lambs fed with 250 mg of thyme extract (P<0.01). Microbial protein produced in the rumen were significantly affected by experimental treatments (P<0.01). The activity of cellulolytic enzymes was not affected by the treatments. Our findings indicate that 250 mg thyme extract can be used in diet without adverse effect on lambs and kids. The lambs were also more affected by the thyme extract than the kids.

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