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The Efficacy of the Natural Plant Extracts, Thymol and Carvacrol against C ampylobacter Colonization in Broiler Chickens
Author(s) -
Arsi K.,
Donoghue A.M.,
Venkitanarayanan K.,
KollanoorJohny A.,
Fanatico A.C.,
Blore P.J.,
Donoghue D.J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of food safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1745-4565
pISSN - 0149-6085
DOI - 10.1111/jfs.12129
Subject(s) - thymol , carvacrol , campylobacteriosis , broiler , antimicrobial , food science , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , campylobacter , essential oil , bacteria , genetics
C ampylobacter is a leading worldwide cause of foodborne illness associated with consumption of poultry products. Unfortunately, most preharvest treatments fail to reduce this enteric foodborne pathogen in poultry. The efficacy of natural plant extracts, such as thymol and carvacrol, has efficacy against other enteric pathogens but has not been evaluated against C ampylobacter . To accomplish this, day old broiler chicks ( n = 10 chicks/dose) were fed 0% (controls) or thymol or carvacrol or combinations of these compounds in feed in four different trials. Birds were orally challenged with C ampylobacter jejuni at day 3 and at day 10, cecal samples were collected for C ampylobacter enumeration. C ampylobacter counts were reduced for 0.25% thymol (trial 1), 1% carvacrol or 2% thymol (trial 2) treatments, or a combination of both thymol and carvacrol at 0.5% (trial 3) in this study ( P < 0.05). These results support supplementation of these compounds in feed to reduce C ampylobacter colonization in chickens. Practical Applications C ampylobacter is one of the major causes of foodborne enteritis worldwide, and the majority of human campylobacteriosis cases were reported to be associated with improper handling and/or consumption of undercooked poultry . Because poultry are the major contributors for human infections, eliminating or reducing C ampylobacter in poultry would greatly reduce the risk of campylobacteriosis in humans. Many strategies have been tried to eliminate C ampylobacter with limited success. Considering the increasing consumer demand for natural, safer food products, free from synthetic residues, use of natural compounds with proven antimicrobial efficacy appears to be a promising strategy to control C ampylobacter in poultry. In the present study we evaluated the in vivo efficacy of different concentrations and combinations of two natural compounds, thymol and carvacrol, against C ampylobacter colonization in broiler chickens.