Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the effects of fennel, oregano, and thyme dietary supplements on the feeding of rabbits. In this regard, 96 weaned rabbits (30-day-old), white New Zealand, were divided into 4 groups and submitted to the following dietary treatments: Control diet, F diet (Control diet + 5% Foeniculum vulgaris), O diet (Control diet + 5% Origanum compactum), and T diet (Control diet + 5% Thymus capitatus). The essential oils of the above mentioned aromatic plants were extracted and were analyzed using a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. The treatment of fennel, oregano, and thyme had no beneficial effects on the growth performance of the rabbits but reduced the mortality rate. The phenylpropanoid and the phenolic monoterpenes were the major components of Foeniculum vulgaris, Origanum compactum, and Thymus capitatus essential oils. The aromatic plants and their active compounds can be used as additives in rabbit nutrition.