Effect of fennel essential oil on performance, serum biochemistry, immunity, ileum morphology and microbial population, and meat quality of broiler chickens fed corn or wheat-based diet.

1. The effect of Foeniculi aetheroleum essential oil (EO) on growth performance, nutrient utilisation, serum biochemistry, immune response, ileum morphology, microbial population and meat quality of broiler chickens fed a corn- or wheat-based diet were determined.2. A total of 360 broiler chickens were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial assay in a completely randomised design with six replicates and 15 birds per experimental unit. Birds were fed corn- or wheat-based diets supplemented with (200 mg/kg) or without fennel EO.3. Birds fed wheat-based diets had lower BWG and FCR during grower period and lower FI during finisher period as compared to those fed corn-based diet (P < 0.05) whereas addition of fennel EO decreased chickens BWG during finisher period and EPEF, both in wheat or in corn-based diets. Dietary treatments had no effect on serum glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, AST, ALT, ALP, and MDA concentrations (P < 0.05).4. Antibody titres against avian influenza and sheep red blood cell antibody titres, crude protein and crude fat utilisation, villus height, crypt depth and epithelium thickness were not influenced by dietary treatments (P > 0.05). Inclusion of Fennel EO to the corn-based diet resulted in greater villus width and villus surface area while it reduced lamina propria thickness (P < 0.05). Fennel EO reduced ileal E. coli and Lactobacillus spp. populations (P < 0.05). Dietary treatments had no significant effect on meat pH, cooking loss, drip loss, crude protein, crude fat content and cholesterol concentration of breast and thigh meat, total phenolic and MDA concentrations, and breast meat sensory parameters (P > 0.05).5. These results showed that addition of fennel EO to wheat-based diets had a negative effect on chicken growth performance variables and decreased gut E. coli populations. However, immunity, meat quality and nutrient utilisation were not affected by dietary treatments.

Potential effect of 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol (thymol) alone and in combination with fluconazole against clinical isolates of Candida albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei.

Limitations of antifungals used in the treatment of candidiasis, as the development of resistant strains, are known by the scientific community. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate the activity of 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol (thymol) in combination with fluconazole (FLZ) against clinical Candida strains. The antifungal activity of thymol along with FLZ was evaluated by the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M27-A2 broth microdilution method. In addition, synergism was observed for clinical strains of Candida spp. with combination of thymol-FLZ evaluated by the chequerboard microdilution method. The mean of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of thymol and FLZ were 49.37 and 0.475µg/ml for C. albicans, 51.25 and 18.80µg/ml for C. glabrata and 70 and 179.20µg/ml for C. krusei strains, respectively. Thymol in combination with FLZ exhibited the synergistic effects against all species of Candida tested. FICI values for thymol plus FLZ ranged from 0.366 to 0.607 for C. albicans strains, 0.367 to 0.482 for C. glabrata strains, and 0.375 to 0.563 for C. krusei strains. No antagonistic activity was seen in the strains tested. Thymol was found to have a fungicidal effect on Candida species and a synergistic effect when combined with FLZ.