Effects of essential oil on antimicrobial activity, physiological response, and growth performance in ruminant

Abstract

Essential oils are volatile oils obtained from plants by water distillation or steam distillation. Most essential oils consist of mixtures of hydrocarbons (terpenes etc.), oxygenated compounds (terpenoids etc.) and other components. Essential oils have potential against a wild range of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. Some of components in essential oils have neurological effect, and structural similarity to gonadal steroid hormones and nature of the PPARγ ligands. It is suggested that essential oils may be substitute for antibiotic and potential regulation factors for some hormone secretions to control muscle and adipose development. So this study was conducted to observe these beneficial functions of essential oils in beef cattle.