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Composition, antioxidant capacity, intestinal, and immunobiological effects of oregano (Lippia palmeri Watts) in goats: preliminary in vitro and in vivo studies

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Abstract

This study investigated Lippia palmeri Watt (oregano) phytochemical compounds, their antioxidant capacity, and immunological effects on goat peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL), and on the presence of intermediate polar compounds in goat feces fed dietary oregano. The polar and nonpolar fractions of L. palmeri W. were characterized and phytochemical contents and antioxidant capacity were determined. Twelve healthy Anglo-Nubian goats were used for the in vivo trials, which were randomly assigned to control fed with basal diet, or oregano group fed with basal diet + 2.6% (DM basis) dried oregano leaves. Goat peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) were isolated for the in vitro study, and PBL were stimulated with oregano extracts at 100 and 150 μg/mL after 24 h. For the in vivo trial, dietary oregano (2.6% on DM basis) was evaluated in the goats for 90 days. Relatively high abundance of carvacrol and thymol phytochemical compounds was found in oregano. The highest antioxidant capacity of oregano extracts was detected at 100 and 150 μg/mL. Nitric oxide production, phagocytosis, and superoxide dismutase activities increased (p < 0.05) in stimulated PBL with oregano extracts, whereas the pro-inflammatory (TNF-α and IL-1β) transcription and antioxidant (CAT and GPX-4) genes downregulated. In the in vivo experiment, dietary oregano enabled the detection of nine compounds found in goat feces, from which caproic (C6) was in a high relative quantity compared with the control group. Oregano has phytochemical compounds with strong antioxidant capacity that protect cells against oxidative stress damage and could modulate immune response and feces composition in goats.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank CIBNOR technical staff Rene Rebollar and Patricia Hinojosa for their help; and Diana Fischer for English edition.

Funding

This research was financed by CONACYT (INFR-2014-01/225924).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunology & Vaccinology Group. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, 23096, La Paz, BCS, Mexico

    Martha Reyes-Becerril, Dante Gijón, Miriam Angulo, Kevyn Guerra & Carlos Angulo

  2. Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN), Irapuato, GTO, Mexico

    Juan Vázquez-Martínez & Mercedes G. López

  3. Ciencia Animal y Conservación del Hábitat, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Carretera al Sur km. 5.5, Col. Mezquitito, 23080, La Paz, BCS, Mexico

    Emmanuel Junco & Jose Armenta

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  1. Martha Reyes-Becerril
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  2. Dante Gijón
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Correspondence to Carlos Angulo.

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This study used the National Guide of Ethical Care of Experimental Animals (NOM 0062-ZOO-1999) avoiding excessive distress for the animals.

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Supplemental Table 1

Primers used to determine Lippia palmeri Watts effects on gene expression in goat peripheral blood leukocytes. (DOCX 14 kb)

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Reyes-Becerril, M., Gijón, D., Angulo, M. et al. Composition, antioxidant capacity, intestinal, and immunobiological effects of oregano (Lippia palmeri Watts) in goats: preliminary in vitro and in vivo studies. Trop Anim Health Prod 53, 101 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-020-02450-z

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