Thyme essential oil for sheep: effect on rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen metabolism, and growth

ABSTRACT Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oil (EO) doses on rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen metabolism, as well as performance and coccidia oocyst discharge. In experiment I, 20 rumen-cannulated wethers received the experimental diets containing 80% dry matter (DM) of haylage and 20% DM of concentrate. Treatments were 25mg of monensin/kg DM or doses of 1.25, 2.50, or 3.75g of thyme EO/kg DM. In experiment II, 50 ewe lambs received the same diets from experiment I, including a diet without feed additives. Wethers fed with diets containing 1.25g/kg DM of thyme EO had higher molar proportion of propionate (P= 0.03) and butyrate (P

摘要 本研究开展两项试验，以评估百里香（Thymus vulgaris）精油（EO）添加剂量对瘤胃发酵、养分消化率、氮代谢、动物生产性能及球虫卵囊排出量的影响。试验I中，20只安装瘤胃瘘管的去势公羊饲喂试验日粮，该日粮以占干物质（DM）80%的青贮干草与占干物质（DM）20%的精饲料配制而成。试验处理组分别为每千克干物质添加25mg莫能菌素，或分别添加1.25g、2.50g、3.75g百里香精油（EO）/千克干物质。试验II中，50只母羔饲喂与试验I相同的日粮，另设无饲料添加剂的对照组。饲喂含1.25g/kg干物质百里香精油（EO）日粮的去势公羊，其丙酸摩尔比例（P=0.03）与丁酸（P