title: Effect of thyme oil on small intestine integrity and antioxidant status, phagocytic activity and gastrointestinal microbiota in rabbits.
abstract: The effects of 0.5 g thyme oil per kg dry matter (DM) of diet on duodenal tissue integrity, antioxidant status, phagocytic activity and selected microbiota in the caecum and faeces of rabbits were studied. Twenty-four rabbits were divided into two groups and were fed a commercial granulated diet for growing rabbits (CD) with access to water ad libitum. The first group was fed the CD, while to the CD of the second group thyme oil was added. Intestinal integrity was tested by measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). Thyme oil significantly increased the value of total antioxidant status (TAS) in the blood plasma and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in the liver, and it decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the duodenal tissue. Thyme oil resulted in strengthened intestinal integrity, as the essential oil supplementation significantly increased TEER values in the experiment. The faecal microbiota of rabbits was almost completely balanced in both groups, and only a slight decrease was found in the microbial population at day 42 of the trial. In both groups, the bacterial counts were generally lower in the caecum than in the faecal samples. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 0.5 g/kg DM thyme oil may improve intestinal integrity, and it may have an antioxidant effect. A tendency was also found for thyme oil to stimulate the abundance of some microbes beneficial in the rabbit gut.
authors: Slovak Academy of Sciences Institute of Animal Physiology Soltesova 4 040 01 Košice Slovak Republic.
authors: Iveta
authors: I
authors: Placha
authors: Lubica
authors: L
authors: Chrastinova
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Laukova
authors: Klaudia
authors: K
authors: Cobanova
authors: Jana
authors: J
authors: Takacova
authors: Viola
authors: V
authors: Strompfova
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Chrenkova
authors: Zuzana
authors: Z
authors: Formelova
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Faix
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D007421:Intestine, Small; D011817:Rabbits; D046930:Thymus Plant
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase