Influence of saponin plants on the volatile fraction of thyme in herbal teas

Combinations of thyme, cowslip and liquorice roots are often used in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. Therefore the volatile fraction of herbal teas prepared from thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and the effect of combining with cowslip (Primula veris/P. elatior) and liquorice roots (Glycyrrhiza glabra) on the volatiles were analyzed. Volatile compounds were isolated by hydrodistillation and solid phase extraction and analyzed by GC-MS. Thymol was also quantified by HPLC. The total amount of volatiles as well the thymol content was decreased with increasing proportions of cowslip or liquorice in the infusion extracts whereas the proportion of monoterpene hydrocarbons increased.     

百里香精油对麻花鸡生长性能、血清蛋白和细胞因子的影响

本试验旨在研究日粮中添加不同水平百里香精油对麻花鸡生长性能、血清蛋白和细胞因子的影响。选取1日龄麻花鸡768只,采用单因子试验设计,随机分为8组,每组4个重复,每个重复24只鸡。对照组饲喂基础日粮,试验Ⅰ~Ⅶ组在基础日粮中分别添加0.05、0.10、0.15、0.20、0.25、0.30和0.35 mg/kg百里香精油。试验期42 d,分1~21日龄(前期)、22~42日龄(后期)2个阶段。结果表明,与对照组相比,日粮中添加百里香精油对1~21日龄麻花鸡生长性能无显著影响(P>0.05),但试验Ⅱ~Ⅵ组可极显著提高22~42日龄麻花鸡平均日增重(P<0.01),试验Ⅲ、Ⅳ、Ⅵ组可显著降低22~42日龄麻花鸡料重比(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,试验Ⅱ组可显著降低42日龄麻花鸡血清中白蛋白含量(P<0.05),试验Ⅱ~Ⅴ、Ⅶ组可显著提高21日龄麻花鸡血清中球蛋白含量(P<0.05),试验Ⅱ、Ⅳ、Ⅴ组可显著降低21和42日龄麻花鸡血清中白蛋白/球蛋白比值(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,日粮中添加百里香精油对21和42日龄麻花鸡血清中白介素-4、肿瘤坏死因子-α和γ-干扰素含量均无显著影响(P>0.05),但试验Ⅶ组可显著提高42日龄麻花鸡血清中白介素-1含量(P<0.05)。综上所述,日粮中添加百里香精油可显著促进麻花鸡体内蛋白沉积,提高生长性能和增强γ-球蛋白和白介素-1细胞因子参与介导的免疫调节作用,建议生产中麻花鸡日粮中百里香精油的适宜添加量为0.10~0.25 mg/kg。     

Effect of Zataria multiflora Boiss (Avishan Shirazi) Essential Oil on Oxidative Progress in Frozen Cobia Fish Fillets During Storage

Antioxidants have been widely used as additives to provide protection against oxidative degradation of foods by free radicals. The effect of thyme essence (Zataria multiflora Boiss) on the rancidity development in cobia (Rachycentron canadum) fillets during frozen storage was studied. Cobia fillets were treated with thyme essence (250 and 500 ppm) and then stored at??18°C for up to 6 months. Rancidity development was measured by several biochemical indices including free fatty acids (FFA), peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), and complemented by sensory analysis (flesh odor, consistency, and appearance). Also, pH and expressible moisture were measured during 6-month storage. Proximate composition was also determined in the first day. TBA, PV, and FFA levels increased in all treatments due to lipid oxidation. Thyme essence showed an antioxidative effect in cobia fillets during frozen storage as indicated by TBA, PV, and FFA levels. Results showed that FFA, primary and secondary oxidation products, expressible moisture (EM), and pH of thyme essence treated samples were significantly lower than those of the control samples (p < 0.05). Thyme essence retarded oxidative changes in frozen cobia fillets, and the best oxidation inhibition was obtained using thyme essence at 500 ppm.     

Effect of marinade containing thyme and orange oils on broiler breast fillet and whole wing aerobic bacteria during refrigerated storage

Raw meat typically hosts spoilage organisms and sometimes hosts pathogens; to combat this, natural antimicrobial interventions have gained interest among consumers. In a previous study a marinade containing a thyme-orange essential oils combination (TOC) at the 0.5% level was found to inhibit Salmonella and Campylobacter species. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of a salt-phosphate marinade solution with 0.5% TOC (treatment) or without TOC (control) applied by vacuum tumbling on the shelf life of broiler breast fillets and whole wings. The total aerobic and facultative mesophiles (TAM) occurring naturally on these products during refrigerated storage for 14 d (at 1, 7, 10, and 14 d) were enumerated. A total of 48 (24 for each trial) skinless breast fillets and 48 (24 for each trial) whole wings were used for the 2 trials. For each trial, 12 of the 24 breast fillets or wings were marinated using the control marinade solution and the remaining 12 were marinated in the treatment marinade solution. On d 1, 7, 10, and 14, 3 treatment and 3 control breast fillets and wings were randomly selected for TAM enumeration. Sample rinsates were plated in duplicate and incubated at 35°C for 48 h. Thyme-orange combination marinade significantly reduced TAM numbers on d 1, 7, and 10 compared with the controls. Log reductions of 0.3, 0.9, and 1.1 were recorded on d 1, 7, and 10, respectively. The difference in TAM between the treated and untreated whole wings was not significant. Therefore, 0.5% TOC in marinade can be used as a natural antimicrobial to reduce TAM on skinless breast fillets; however, a higher concentration may be required for skin-on products.     

The Effects of Liposomal Encapsulated Thyme Extract on the Quality of Fish Mince and Escherichia coli O157:H7 Inhibition During Refrigerated Storage

The effects of liposomal encapsulated and unencapsulated (0.3 and 0.5% w/w) thyme extract (TE) on the quality of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys moltrix) mince during chilled storage (4 ± 1°C) were examined over a period of 15 days. The samples were analyzed by microbiological (total viable count, psychrotrophic count) and chemical (peroxide value and total volatile nitrogen) experiments. Also, the efficacy of the encapsulated extract in control in the population of Eschershia coli O157:H7 inoculated in silver carp mince was investigated. Results showed that the samples containing 0.5% of encapsulated thyme had fewer changes in peroxide value and total volatile nitrogen in comparison to other treatments (p < 0.05). Encapsulated thyme also could inhibit the growth of mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria in the samples compared to the control and the samples containing unencapsulated extract during the storage period. Moreover, 0.5% encapsulated TE reduced the population of E. coli O157:H7 below the acceptable level (< 2) from Day 9 until the end of the storage period. In conclusion, the results obtained from this study suggest that liposomal encapsulation may help to obtain higher antimicrobial activity in lower TE concentrations in minced fish.     

The Effect of Whey Protein Isolate Coating Enriched with Thyme Essential Oils on Trout Quality at Refrigerated Storage (4 ± 2°C)

ABSTRACT

The present study evaluated the effect of whey protein isolate (WPI) coating enriched with thyme essential oil (EO; 3, 5, and 7%, v/v) on whole trout chemical and microbial quality during refrigerated storage at 4 ± 2°C. As a result of this study, the addition of thyme essential oil to WPI coatings enhanced quality significantly better than that of the control and WPI coating without thyme essential oil during refrigerated storage, and this effect increased with an increase in the thyme EO concentration in WPI coating.     

百里香精油的化学成分、抑菌作用、抗氧化活性及毒理学特性

[目的]探索百里香精油(thymo essential oil)的化学组成及其作用机理.[方法]采用水蒸气蒸馏法提取百里香精油,利用气-质联用技术(GC-MS)测定化学成分,研究抗氧化性、抑菌作用和毒理特性.[结果]百里香精油含有85种化学成分,且以酚类物质为主.百里香精油具有很强的抗氧化性,抗氧化能力高于维生素E,对大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌、黑曲霉菌、啤酒酵母菌的抗菌性均表现为敏感型,但碱性条件和热处理降低其抑菌作用.[结论]经动物试验百里香精油属无毒型,可安全用作食品添加剂和化工香料.     

Feeding broilers with thyme essential oil loaded in chitosan nanoparticles: an efficient strategy for successful delivery

ABSTRACT

1. The use of chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) for the entrapment of active components has gained considerable interest in food and pharmaceutical industries due to its mucous adhesiveness, non-toxicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability.

2. This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of feeding encapsulated thyme essential oil (E-TEO) on performance, blood parameters, immunity and ileal microflora in broilers.

3. CNPs were prepared by using ionotropic gelation and structurally characterised by dynamic light scattering; scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The encapsulation efficiency percentage of TEO in CNPs and its in vitro release were determined using ultraviolet visible spectroscopy and dialysis method, respectively.

4. An in vivo experiment was conducted with five treatments of five replicates with ten chicks per pen. Dietary treatments consisted of an unsupplemented control diet, or supplemented with chlortetracycline (80 and 50 mg/kg during the starter and grower phase, respectively); CNPs (60 mg/kg); TEO (40 mg/kg diet) or E-TEO (60 mg/kg).

5. Results showed uniform distribution of nanoparticles with roughly spherical morphology, and the size of particles ranged from 30 to 100 nm. It was observed that 68.3% of TEO was encapsulated into CNPs, from which more than 90% was released within the first 96 h. Birds treated with antibiotic and E-TEO showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher body weight gain than the control and the other treatments were intermediate. Compared to the control group, adding of E-TEO into diet significantly (P < 0.05) improved feed conversion ratio at 42 days of age. Feeding birds with E-TEO significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the number of coliform and total aerobic bacteria compared to other treatments. Birds supplemented with E-TEO showed lower heterophile to lymphocyte ratio compared to birds that received TEO.

6. The results suggested that the entrapment of TEO in CNPs and its sustained release promoted broiler performance via the improvement of physiological status and modulating intestinal microbiota and therefore could be used as substitute for antibiotic growth promoter in broiler diets.