Productive Performance, Ovarian Follicular Development, Lipid Peroxidation, Antioxidative Status, and Egg Quality in Laying Hens Fed Diets Supplemented with Salvia officinalis and Origanum majorana Powder Levels

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Phytoestrogens are plant-derived compounds which can act to mimic estrogen and cause estrogenic effects via binding to estrogen receptors-α and β. Phytoestrogen enhances laying performance during post-peak laying in hens. Hence, the current study investigated the effects of Salvia officinalis and/or Origanum majorana as phytoestrogen sources on productive performance, ovarian follicular development, lipid peroxidation, antioxidative status, and egg quality in laying hens. A total of 294 (45-week-old Bovans brown hens) were divided into seven experimental groups. The control group was fed with the basal diet; the second and third groups were provided with the same control diet further supplemented with 0.5 and 1 kg/ton Salvia officinalis, respectively; the fourth and fifth groups received the control diet further supplemented with 0.5 and 1 kg/ton Origanum majorana, respectively; while the sixth group was offered a diet supplemented with 0.5 kg/ton Salvia officinalis and 0.5 kg/ton Origanum majorana. Finally, the seventh group received a diet supplemented with 1 kg/ton Salvia officinalis and 1 kg/ton Origanum majorana. The results reveal that dietary supplementation with Salvia officinalis and/or Origanum improved productive performance, ovarian follicular development, antioxidant activity, hormonal status, and steroidogenesis in Bovans brown laying hens. ABSTRACT: This study aimed to assess the effect of dietary supplementation with different levels of Salvia officinalis and/or Origanum majorana on productive performance, ovarian follicular development, lipid peroxidation, antioxidative status, and egg quality in laying hens. Two hundred and ninety-four 45-week-old Bovans brown hens were allocated into seven groups, with seven replicates of six hens each. The first group was fed with the basal considered as a control (A); the second (B) and third (C) groups were provided with the same control diet further supplemented with 0.5 and 1 kg/ton Salvia officinalis, respectively; the fourth (D) and fifth (E) groups received the control diet further supplemented with 0.5 and 1 kg/ton Origanum majorana, respectively; while the sixth (F) and the seventh (G) groups were offered a diet supplemented with 0.5 kg/ton Salvia officinalis and 0.5 kg/ton Origanum majorana and 1 kg/ton Salvia officinalis and 1 kg/ton Origanum majorana, respectively. No significant effects were observed in the final body weight (BW) and feed intake (FI) of the laying hens. In the diets supplemented with Salvia officinalis and Origanum majorana, the egg weights for groups C, F, and G had significantly higher values only compared to group D. The supplementation of the diets with Salvia officinalis and/or Origanum majorana significantly (p < 0.05) increased the Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol estrogenic hormone concentration, except for Origanum majorana at both levels with regard to estradiol. The dietary utilization of Salvia officinalis and Origanum majorana did not significantly alter the plasma glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), total protein, albumin, globulin, and High density lipoprotein (HDL) parameters. Cholesterol, glucose, triglyceride, and Low density lipoprotein (LDL) were decreased (p < 0.05) in the birds fed with Salvia officinalis and/or Origanum majorana supplemented diets. Moreover, at both doses, the dietary supplementation with Salvia officinalis and Origanum majorana decreased (p < 0.05) the yolk cholesterol and liver Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. In addition, the dietary enrichment with Salvia officinalis and/or Origanum majorana decreased (p < 0.05) the palmitoleic and stearic fatty acids’ egg yolk concentration. In contrast, the yolk linoleic fatty acid concentration was significantly increased by Salvia officinalis and/or Origanum majorana. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with Salvia officinalis and/or Origanum positively affected productive performance, ovarian follicular development, antioxidant activity, hormonal status, and steroidogenesis in Bovans brown laying hens.