Essential oil of white thyme (thymus vulgaris) as handler of ruminal fermentation

• Grant number: 13/20070-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: December 01, 2013
• End date: March 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Alexandre Vaz Pires
• Grantee: Angelo Dias Brito Ribeiro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Two experiments will be conducted to evaluate the effects of the supply of essential oil of white thyme on ruminal fermentation characteristics, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, concentration of protozoa in the rumen contents in lambs fed diets 90:10 20:80 (concentrate: roughage). In both experiments, the essential oil is added to diets based, containing 90% concentrate and 10% roughage (hay coastcross) and 20% concentrate and 80% roughage (hay coastcross). The trial period will last 52 days, divided into sub-periods of 26 days, including 7 days will be allocated to a buffer period ("wash-out" period) to remove the effects of the treatment period before the next period, 18 days for adaptation of animals to the experimental diets, four days to measure the dry matter intake (DMI), collection of feces and urine, and a day to harvest rumen contents. The animals will be distributed in a randomized complete block design with five blocks and five treatments. Trial I: in this experiment will be evaluated five treatments, with the diet based on the 90% concentrate and 10% forage, as follows: CONT (negative control) - base diet, without monensin; MON (positive control) - base diet added with 22 mg of monensin per kg of diet (as fed basis); 1.25TB - base diet added with 1.25 mL of essential oil from white thyme; 2.5TB - base diet added with 2.5 mL of essential oil from white thyme, and 3.75TB - base diet added with 3.75 mL of essential oil from white thyme. Trial II: in this experiment will be evaluated five treatments with basal diet of 20% concentrate and 80% forage, as follows: CONT (negative control) - base diet, without monensin; MON (positive control) - base diet added with 22 mg of monensin per kg of diet (as fed basis); 1.25TB - base diet added with 1.25 mLg of essential oil from white thyme; 2.5TB - base diet added with 2.5 g of essential oil from white thyme, and 3.75TB - base diet added with 3.75 mL of essential oil from white thyme. Will be used Dorper lambs ½ ½ St. Agnes, with approximately 40.0 kg of initial body weight. The essential oils are added to a dry matter basis of diets. The variables are: intake and apparent digestibility of nutrients, ruminal fermentation characteristics (pH, SCFA and ammonia N) and nitrogen balance.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

RIBEIRO, Angelo Dias Brito. Use of essential oil of thyme (thymus vulgaris) in sheep diets. 2015. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD) Pirassununga.