Hypolipidemic Effects of Carvacrol in Relation with Sex Hormones in Broiler Chicken

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of high and low doses of carvacrol on blood lipid constituents and sex hormones in broiler chicks. Inclusion of carvacrol into the drinking water at 0.5 and 0.3 g/ L in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively, modulated serum cholesterol and high density lipoproteins (HDL) levels, albeit the differences were not significant when compared to the corresponding control groups (P> 0.05). Carvacrol at 0.5 g/ L significantly decrease (16%) abdominal fat percentage of the birds at 28 d (Trial 1; P<0.05). In trail 2, concentration of estradiol in serum significantly reduced in all carvacrol-receiving birds compared with the controlbirds (P> 0.05). Serum testosterone, however, increased in the birds received carvacrol at doses greater than 0.2 g/ L in comparison with the control birds (P<0.05). The results propose the possibility of testosterone-coupled hypolipidemic properties for carvacrol in broiler chicken.