title: The In Vitro and In Vivo Effect of Carvacrol in Preventing Campylobacter Infection, Colonization and in Improving Productivity of Chicken Broilers.
abstract: The current trend in reducing the antibiotic usage in animal production imposes urgency in the identification of novel biocides. The essential oil carvacrol, for example, changes the morphology of the cell and acts against a variety of targets within the bacterial membranes and cytoplasm, and our in vitro results show that it reduces adhesion and invasion of chicken intestinal primary cells and also biofilm formation. A trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of carvacrol at four concentrations (0, 120, 200, and 300 mg/kg of diet) on the performance of Lactobacillus spp., Escherichia coli, Campylobacter spp., and broilers. Each of the four diets was fed to three replicates/trial of 50 chicks each from day 0 to 35. Our results show that carvacrol linearly decreased feed intake, feed conversion rates and increased body weight at all levels of supplementation. Plate count analysis showed that Campylobacter spp. was only detected at 35 days in the treatment groups compared with the control group where the colonization occurred at 21 days. The absence of Campylobacter spp. at 21 days in the treatment groups was associated with a significant increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus spp. Also, carvacrol was demonstrated to have a significant effect on E. coli numbers in the cecum of the treatment groups, at all supplementation levels. In conclusion, this study shows for the first time that at different concentrations, carvacrol can delay Campylobacter spp., colonization of chicken broilers, by inducing changes in gut microflora, and it demonstrates promise as an alternative to the use of antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: 1 Veterinary Science Division, Bacteriology Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute , Belfast, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Carmel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: 2 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , London, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Ozan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gundogdu
authors.affiliation: 3 University of Bucharest , ICUB, Bucharest, Romania .
authors.forename: Gratiela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pircalabioru
authors.affiliation: 4 School of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Banat University of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine-King Michael I of Romania , Timisoara, Romania .
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cean
authors.affiliation: 1 Veterinary Science Division, Bacteriology Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute , Belfast, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scates
authors.affiliation: 1 Veterinary Science Division, Bacteriology Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute , Belfast, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linton
authors.affiliation: 1 Veterinary Science Division, Bacteriology Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute , Belfast, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Laurette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pinkerton
authors.affiliation: 5 Sustainable Agri-Food Sciences Division, Agriculture Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Magowan
authors.affiliation: 4 School of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Banat University of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine-King Michael I of Romania , Timisoara, Romania .
authors.forename: Lavinia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stef
authors.affiliation: 4 School of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Banat University of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine-King Michael I of Romania , Timisoara, Romania .
authors.forename: Eliza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simiz
authors.affiliation: 4 School of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Banat University of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine-King Michael I of Romania , Timisoara, Romania .
authors.forename: Ioan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pet
authors.affiliation: 1 Veterinary Science Division, Bacteriology Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute , Belfast, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: 2 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , London, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stabler
authors.affiliation: 2 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , London, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wren
authors.affiliation: 2 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , London, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dorrell
authors.affiliation: 1 Veterinary Science Division, Bacteriology Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute , Belfast, United Kingdom .|4 School of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Banat University of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine-King Michael I of Romania , Timisoara, Romania .
authors.forename: Nicolae
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Corcionivoschi
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002432:Cecum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D000081007:Cymenes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000187:drug effects; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000081007:Cymenes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005227:Fatty Acids; D039821:Monoterpenes; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; C073316:carvacrol
keywords: Campylobacter; Carvacrol; biofilm; colonization; infection