Effect of dietary thyme on laying hen's performance and E. coli concentration in Feces

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INTRODUCTION
Recently, it has been reported that the usage of antibiotics as
a growth promoter in chicken diets has caused some unwanted
factors [1, 2-3]. Therefore, the searches for alternative feed
supplements have been increased extensively and considerable
attention has been given to the essential herbs as replacements
for antibiotics growth promotants [4]. Langhout, [5] and
Williams and Losa, [6] discovered that essential oils have a
stimulating effect on animal digestive systems. They postulated
that these effects could be due to the increased production of
digestive enzymes and the improved utilization of digestive
products through enhanced liver functions.
Hertrampf, [7] and Alçiçek et al. [8] demonstrated that
essential oils improved animal performance, however, other
researchers [9, 10-11] reported that these additives were not
effective in this regard. Deschepper et al. [4] determined that
essential oil from herbs have received considerable attention as
replacements for antibiotic growth promotants. The antibacterial
and anticoccidial effects of essential oils, or components from
plant extracts, have received widespread attention and numerous
reports exist in the literature. For example, Jamroz et al. [12]
determined that plant extract (carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and
capsaicin) reduced the total E. Coli and Clostridium perfringes
numbers in the intestines of broiler chickens; it has been
reported that blends of essential oil components can control
Clostridium perfringens colonization in the intestine and feces
of broiler chickens [13].
As an essential oil, antibacterial, anticocidial, antifungal
and antioxidant effects of thyme oil derived from thyme were
reported by Hertrampf, [7]. Also, in vitro studies have shown
that essential oils to have antibacterial properties against Listeria
monocytogenes, Salmonellatyphimurium, Escherichia coli,
Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus [14]. Smith-Palmer
et al. [15] and Hammer et al. [16] shown that essential oils of
rosemary (Rosmarinus offi cinalis), sage (Salvia sclarea), thyme
(Thymus vulgaris), were among the most active in this respect
against strains of E. coli. Dorman and Deans, [19] reported
that thymol (5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl) phenol), a main
component of the essential oil from thyme, has antimicrobial
properties. Essential oils’ antimicrobial mode of action consists
of interactions with the cell membranes of microorganisms
by changing permeability for cautions such as H+ and K+ [18].
Since, there has been yet any report dealing with the promoter
and antimicrobial effect of dietary supplemented thyme on
performance, the objective of this study was to evaluate the
use of the thyme in hen feeding to promote performance and
reduced E. coli concentration in feces.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sixty four, 24- wk-old lohman-LSL hybrid laying hens
were used in this experiment. Birds were randomly assigned to
4 groups at equally (n=16), each of which included 4 cages (50
x 46 x 46 cm) with four animals. The treatments consisted of
diets containing 0, 0.1, 0.5 or 1 % thyme powder. Composition
of the experimental diets is presented in Tables 1. The diets were
isoenergetic and isonitrogenous. Experiment lasted in 12 weeks
at the beginning of laying period. During the experiment hens
were fed and water ad libitum. Egg production, feed conversion
rate and feed consumption amounts were recorded daily from
each cage. Percentage of yolk, albumen and shell, egg weight
and Hough unit values were measured biweekly using 8 eggs
from each dietary treatment. At the end of experiment, feces
samples were taken from each replicate cage in order to
determine total Coliform and E. coli.
Bacteriology
Fecal samples were blended in a stomacher (Stomacher
400; AJ Seward, London, England) for 2 min in 50 mL of
0.85 % (w/v) salt water. A series of fermentation tubes that
Effect of Dietary Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) on Laying Hens Performance and
Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentration in feces
Ş. Canan BÖLÜKBAŞI M.Kuddusi ERHAN
Atatürk University, the Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science,25240, Erzurum, TURKEY
Corresponding Author Received : 23 November 2006
E-mail: canan@atauni.edu.tr Accepted : 29 December 2006
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) on perfor-
mance of laying hens and E. coli concentrations in feces. Sixty four of 24 weeks old white Lohman LSL laying hens were randomly
assigned to four groups equally (n = 16). Each treatment was replicated four times. Experimental diets were prepared by adding
thyme at the levels of 0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1% to basal diet. Feed conversion and egg productions of laying hen were improved by thyme
supplementation at level 0.1 and 0.5 %. Also, the usage of 0.1 and 0.5 % thyme in laying hens diets signifi cantly (P<0.05) reduced
E. coli concentration in feces.
Key Words: laying hen, thyme, E. coli, egg production
International Journal of Natural and Engineering Sciences 1 (2): 55-58, 2007

Ş. C.Bölükbaşı and M. K. Erhan / IJNES, 1 (2): 55-58, 2007
56
contain Fuluorocult lauryl sulfat broth were inoculated with
the water sample and incubated for 48 hours at 35 oC. The
fermentation tube contains an inverted tube to trap gases that
were produced by the Coliform bacteria. After 48 hours, the
fermentation tube was examined for gas production. After, the
tubes were examined under a 366-nm Lampe UV for E. coli.
Based on which dilutions showed positive for Coliform and E.
coli, a table of most probable numbers was used to estimate
the Coliform content of the sample. The results were reported
as most probable number (MPN) of Coliform and E. coli per
g [19].
Differences between groups were analyzed with analysis of
variance (ANOVA) by using the statistical package SPSS for
Windows (20), version 10.0. Signifi cant means were subjected
to a multiple comparison test (Duncan) at α = 0.01 and 0.05
level.
Table 1. Calculated nutrient contents of the diet and
additionally
Ingredients and analyses Composition (%)
Corn 48
Soybean meal 19.5
Wheat 12
Meat and bone meal 3
Sunfl ower meal 5
Limestone 8.5
Soybean oil 3
Dicalcium phosphate 0.40
Vitamin premix10.25
Mineral premix20.1
Salt 0.05
DL-methionine 0.14
Calculated analysis
CP 16
ME, kcal/kg 2710
1 Per kilogram of vitamin premix: 4800000 IU vitamin A; 960000 IU
vitamin D;1200 IU vitamin E; 1 g vitamin K3; 1.2 g vitamin B1; 2.8 g
vitamin B
2
; 8 g niacin; 3.2 g calcium D-pantothenate; 1.6 g vitamin B
6
;
6 mg vitamin B
12
; 400 mg folic acid; 18 mg D-biotin; 20 g vitamin C;
50 g choline chloride
2per kilogram of diet: 80 g manganese; 80 g iron; 60 g zinc; 5 g copper;
200 mg cobalt; 500 mg iodine; 150 mg selenium
RESULTS
In the present study, the effects of dietary treatment on
feed intake and egg production were signifi cant (P< 0.05).
Supplementation of thyme at levels of 1% diet signifi cantly
decreased feed intakes. Addition of 0.1% and 0.5% of thyme
to the diets signifi cantly improved feed conversion ratios.
But, supplementation of 1% thyme decreased feed conversion
compared to control. Egg production in laying hens was
increased signifi cantly (P<0.05) with the supplementation
of dietary 0.1 and 0.5% thyme. However, egg weight did not
change during the experimental period from the birds receiving
the control diet and the others with thyme (Table 2).
There were signifi cant effects of dietary treatments on yolk
rate of egg (Table 3). Hens receiving the diets containing 1
% thyme had signifi cantly lower yolk rate compared to those
fed the control and the diet containing 0.1 and 0.5% thyme.
However, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in albumen, shell
and Hough unit between the treatments in this study.
The coliform count in the feces did not differ (P > 0.05) by
any of the supplemental treatments (Table 4). The control group
and 1% thyme group showed the highest average concentration
of E. coli in the feces. The group fed with the 0.1% and 0.5%
thyme had signifi cantly lower E. coli count than the control
group and 1% thyme group. Average E. coli concentrations
signifi cantly differed (P < 0.05) from each other 0.1% thyme
group had the lowest concentration. The inhibitory effect o
on the proliferation on E. coli seemed to be stronger for 0.1%
thyme.
Table 4. Infl uence of dietary thyme herb on total Coliform
bacteria and E. coli in fecal samples of laying hens (MPN/g)
Groups coliform E.coli
Control 110 110a
0.1% Thyme 73 46c
0.5% Thyme 110 73b
1% Thyme 110 110a
PNS *
NS: not signifi cant *: P<0.05
Table 2. Infl uence of dietary thyme (Thymus vulgaris) on performance of laying hens
Groups Feed intake (g) Feed conversion
(g/g)
Egg production
%
Egg
Weight (g)
Control 150.66a2.95b89.81b50.90
0.1% Thyme 150.55a2.88c95.37a51.62
0.5% Thyme 147.57ab 2.79d94.44a49.07
1% Thyme 145.59c3.04a87.96b52.69
SEM 0.46 0.04 1.15 0.94
P* * *NS
NS: not signifi cant *: P< 0.05 a,b,c :Column means with no common superscript differ signifi cantly
Table 3. Infl uence of dietary thyme on egg quality of laying hen.
Groups Yolk % Albumen % Shell % Hough Unit
Control 26.25a62.65 11.08 81.25
0.1% Thyme 26.67a61.94 11.38 83.03
0.5% Thyme 26.35a62.25 11.34 83.76
1% Thyme 23.44b63.46 12.19 81.57
SEM 0.30 0.38 0.36 1.32
P * NS NS NS
NS: not signifi cant *: P< 0.05 a,b,c :Column means with no common superscript differ signifi cantly

Ş. C.Bölükbaşı and M. K. Erhan / IJNES, 1 (2): 55-58, 2007 57
DISCUSSION
Recently, scientists discovered that essential oils have a
stimulating effect on animal digestive systems. They postulated
that these effects could be due to the increased production of
digestive enzymes and the improved utilization of digestive
products through enhanced liver functions [5- 6]. Hertrampf,
[7] reported that essential oils derived from spices and herbs
could be successfully used as growth promoters, since they
increased the feed intake due to their aromatic characteristics
in chickens.
In this study, the coliform counts in the feces of the laying
hens were not affected by any of the supplemental treatments.
But, Cross et al. [21] demonstrated that thyme reduced the
numbers of coliforms. The 0.1% thyme group showed the
signifi cantly lowest average E. coli concentration. Some studies
reported that thyme (Thymus vulgaris) was among the most
active from this respect against to strains of E. coli [14, 16,
17-22]. Jamroz et al. [12] reported that plant extract (carvacrol,
cinnamaldhyde and capsaicin) reduced the total E. coli numbers
in intestine of broilers chickens. Sarıca et al. [22] found that the
broilers fed with thyme (0.1%) had signifi cantly lower E. coli
count than the control diet in the small intestine. Tucker [23]
reported that the supplementation of a mixed herbal product
containing garlic, anise, cinnamon, rosemary and thyme to
commercial pig diets signifi cantly inhibited the number of E.
coli in the digestive tract.
In conclusion, the data of the present study showed that
feeding laying hens with diet containing 0.1 and 0.5 % thyme
improved egg production and feed conversion and signifi cantly
reduced E. coli concentrations in the feces compared to the
basal diet.
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