DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0396.2007.00731.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Effect of oregano (O. majorana · O. vulgare) on performance

and antioxidative capacity of quails fed a diet rich in x3 fatty
acids
S. Handl1, P. Hellweg1, A. Khol-Parisini1, B. Rossmann2, K. Thurner2, W. Luf2, J. Novak3 and J. Zentek1,4
1 Institute of Nutrition, Department for Veterinary Public Health and Food Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria,
2 Institute for Milk Hygiene, Milk Technology and Food Science, Department for Veterinary Public Health and Food Science, University of
Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria,
3 Institute for Applied Botany and Pharmacognosy, Department for Veterinary Public Health and Food Science, University of Veterinary Medicine
Vienna, Vienna, Austria, and
4 Department for Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Animal Nutrition, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Keywords
quails, oregano, eggs, x3 fatty acids
Correspondence
S. Handl, Department for Veterinary Public
Health and Food Science, Institute of
Nutrition, University of Veterinary Medicine
Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna,
Austria.
Tel: +43 1 25077 3217; Fax: +43 1 25077
3290; E-mail: stefanie.handl@vu-wien.ac.at
Summary
Oregano possesses high antioxidant activity and could therefore be used
to enhance oxidative stability of eggs high in x3 fatty acids. In this
study, 20 female quails were fed a diet containing 4% linseed oil. They
were divided into two groups, one receiving oregano, and the other
grass meal as control (2% respectively). Cholesterol oxidation products
were analysed in fresh eggs, in stored eggs and in the livers. Trolox
equivalent antioxidative capacity of plasma was measured. No signifi-
cant differences were seen between the groups.

Presented at the ESVCN congress 2006,

Nantes, France

Received: 28 February 2007;

accepted: 21 May 2007

and spoilage. Cholesterol is a major component of

Introduction
Concern over the use of synthetic antioxidants and
the request of the consumer for organic products
arouses interest in natural occurring antioxidants.
Oregano possesses high antioxidant activity (Cervato
et al., 2000; Dorman et al., 2003) and can therefore
be used to enhance oxidative stability of fat-contain-
ing animal products like meat and eggs (Bauer et al.,
2001; Botsoglou et al., 2003).
The oxidative stability of shell eggs during storage
is in general not a major problem (Pike and Peng,
1985). Recently eggs have been produced containing
polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are supposed to
have a beneficial effect on the consumers health
(Farrell, 1994). But polyunsaturated fatty acids also
make these eggs more prone to oxidative processes
the unsaponificable fraction in egg lipids of chicken
as well as quail eggs (Bragagnolo and Rodriguez-
Amaya, 2003). It is oxidized very easily by enzymes
and undergoes autoxidation induced by heat, light,
irradiation and during storage in presence of oxygen.
Therefore the oxidation products of cholesterol
(COPs) are suitable markers for the oxidative status.
The aim of this study was to assess a possible effect
of oregano on the antioxidative capacity of quails
fed a x3 fatty acid enriched diet and on storage sta-
bility of their eggs.
Material and methods
Twenty female quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica),
aged 3 months, were purchased at an Austrian quail

242 Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 92 (2008) 242–245 ª 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation ª 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
S. Handl et al. Antioxidative capacity of oregano in quails

breeder. For the study, they were kept at the Insti- et al., 2000) after liquid extraction followed by solid
tute of Nutrition, University of Veterinary Medicine phase extraction. Trolox equivalent antioxidative
Vienna, in climate controlled rooms in deep litter capacity (TEAC) of plasma was measured according
pens. All birds were fed a diet fulfilling the require- to Miller et al. (1996).
ments of laying quails (see Table 1), enriched in x3 Statistical analysis was performed using Student’s
fatty acids (4% linseed oil) and without addition of t-test. p £ 0.05 was considered significant.
antioxidants. Food and water were offered ad libitum.
Quails were divided into two groups, one receiv-
Results
ing oregano (the F2 population from a species hybrid
between O. majorana and O. vulgare, bred in the The quails accepted the diets well. Body weight, feed
greenhouse of the Institute for Applied Botany and intake and laying performance were not influenced
Pharmacognosy, University of Veterinary Medicine by the diets (see Table 2).
Vienna) and the other grass meal as control (2% Results of measurement of COPs in eggs and livers
respectively). The oregano leaves were dried in the as well as TEAC in plasma are given in Table 3.
shade, grinded and stored frozen. Food was prepared COPs content in the eggs of the oregano group was
freshly every four days by mixing oregano or grass insignificantly lower compared with the control
meal into the diet using a fodder mixer and stored group. Storing led to a small, non-significant
in the dark at 4 C. increase in COPs in the eggs of both groups. COPs in
After an adaptation period of 2 weeks, eggs were livers and TEAC of plasma also showed no signifi-
collected daily for 1 week. Animal condition, feed cant differences.
intake and laying performance were recorded daily,
body mass of animals and egg weight weekly. At the
Discussion
end of the trial, quails were slaughtered to obtain
blood and livers. In this study, no influence of oregano could be
Cholesterol oxidation products were analysed in shown on the performance of quails fed a diet
fresh eggs, in stored eggs (3 weeks, room tempera- enriched in x3 fatty acids. Food was offered ad libi-
ture) and in the livers by HPLC-MS (Razzazi-Fazeli tum; addition of 2% oregano had no effect on feed
intake. A higher dose of oregano might have shown
Table 1 Diet composition for the quails (g/kg) antioxidative effects on egg yolk lipids more clearly,
but since oregano has a very strong flavour, it may
Components Amount (g/kg) reduce food intake. Besides, spiced feed additives can
Maize 260 influence smell and taste of eggs (Richter et al.,
Wheat 330 2002). Eggs were collected two weeks after the
Extracted soy bean shred 150 beginning of the oregano feeding. Krause and Ternes
Potato protein 100
Flax seed oil 40
Table 2 Body weight, feed intake and laying performance of quails,
Di-calcium-phosphate 27
mean  SD
Limestone dust 60
Sodium chloride 19.5 Bodyweight Feed Egg
Lysin 1.5 Group (g) intake/day (g) weight (g) Eggs/group/day
Methionin 2
Premix 10 Control 269.2  49.1 29.9  2.72 12.9  0.35 5.1  1.81
Calculated composition Oregano 251.3  52.2 30.2  7.23 13.4  0.50 5.9  2.55
Crude protein, % 21
ME, MJ/kg 11.8
Lysin, g/kg 9
Table 3 Cholesterol oxidation products in quail livers, in fresh and
Methionin, g/kg 4.5
stored quail eggs and TEAC in quail plasma (mean  SD)
Cystin, g/kg 3.5
Ca, g/kg 30 COPs livers COPs fresh eggs COPs stored TEAC plasma
P, g/kg 9 Group (lg/g) (lg/g) eggs (lg/g) (mmol/l)
Mg, g/kg 1
Na, g/kg 1 Control 17.9  7.3 26.1  0.4 28.0  1.0 0.855  0.203
Vit A, IU/kg 4000 Oregano 20.6  9.2 19.6  0.5 25.2  1.0 0.802  0.202
Vit D, IU/kg 1000
COPs, cholesterol oxidation products; TEAC, trolox equivalent antioxi-
Vit E, mg/kg 10
dative capacity.

Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition. ª 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation ª 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 243
Antioxidative capacity of oregano in quails
(1999, 2000) showed an increase of phenolics in egg
yolk during the first 12 days of the feeding period,
so 14 days seem to be sufficient to detect possible
effects of the oregano supplementation.
Cholesterol oxidation products content in the fresh
eggs was insignificantly lower in the oregano fed
group compared with the control group and
increased in both groups only slightly during storage.
These findings are consistent with those of Botsoglou
et al. (1997). They fed thyme to laying hens (3% in
the diet) and determined the egg yolk lipid oxidation
by measuring malonaldehyde in fresh eggs and after
60 days refrigerated storage. Significantly less malon-
aldehyde was found in the fresh eggs of the thyme
fed hens, but no change in lipid oxidation during
storage occurred in both groups. They concluded
that the antioxidative compounds from the dietary
thyme had been deposited into the egg yolks. But it
seems that the egg yolk lipids are very stable against
oxidation, even if they are enriched in x3 fatty
acids.
The bioavailability of the antioxidative compoun-
ds carnosic acid, thymol and p-cymene-2,3-diol in
eggs was investigated by Krause and Ternes (1999,
2000). They prepared the diets of hens with 0.28%
and 0.57% rosemary extract (equals an addition of
1% and 2% rosemary leaves) and 1.12% and 1.68%
thyme extract (equals and addition of 10% thyme
leaves). The transition into the egg yolk was
0.0025% for carnosic acid, 0.004% for p-cymene-
2,3-diol and 0.006% for thymol. So it seems that the
bioavailability of those phenols in the eggs yolk is
small. Polyphenols are also made responsible for
oreganos antioxidative activity, but the known poly-
phenols caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid and carvacrol
participate with only 55% to the total phenolic com-
pounds present in oregano (Pizzale et al., 2002). Not
all of them are yet identified and other compound
groups may be responsible for the complex antioxid-
ant action at different stages of the oxidative process
(Madsen et al., 1996).
In conclusion, it seems to be possible to influen-
ce lipid oxidation processes in the animal body by
feeding herbs having antioxidative activity. Further
research is needed to identify all antioxidative com-
pounds of these plants and to investigate their
potential use as natural occurring antioxidative feed
additives.
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