Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: A026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.A026
Published online: 22 April 2026
Assessment of the effect of thyme and/or garlic on the chemical composition and mineral profile of muscles and selected organs of broiler chickens
Szymon Milewski*, Bożena Kiczorowska, Julia Fabjanowska, Wioletta Samolińska and Renata Klebaniuk
Institute of Animal Nutrition and Bromatology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: szymon.milewski@up.edu.pl
In order to improve the quality of poultry products, the use of phytobiotics in broiler chicken nutrition has attracted increasing interest. Among the best-known medicinal plants are garlic (Allium sativum L.), which is a source of organosulfur compounds, and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), containing phenolic compounds, including thymol and carvacrol. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of garlic supplementation and its combination with thyme in the diet on the basic chemical composition and mineral profile of selected muscles and organs of broiler chickens.
Fifty one-day-old birds were assigned to five dietary groups: a control group (C), groups supplemented with 2% and 3% garlic (Al.2 and Al.3), a group receiving 2% garlic and 1% thyme (Al.2.Th), and a group receiving 3% garlic and 1% thyme (Al.3.Th). Broiler chickens were fed three types of diets: starter (days 0–21), grower (days 22–35), and finisher (days 36–42). In selected muscles (breast, thigh, and drumstick) and organs (heart, gizzard, and liver), the basic chemical composition was analyzed according to standard procedures. The contents of Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, and Zn were determined by FAAS, while total P content was measured using a colorimetric method.
The analysis of chemical composition showed a significant increase in dry matter (DM) in the thigh muscle in the Al.3.Th group by 5.9% (25.53 g/100 g) and in crude protein (CP) in the drumstick muscle by 11.3% (19.7 g/100 g) compared with the control group (C). A significant reduction in crude fat (CF) content was found in the breast, thigh, and drumstick muscles, with the greatest decreases observed in Al.3 by 20.1% (1.02 g/100 g), in Al.2.Th by 30.8% (4.69 g/100 g), and in Al.2.Th by 39.7% (4.42 g/100 g), respectively. This was accompanied by a reduction in the energy value of the thigh muscle in Al.2 by 11.1% (119.1 kcal/100 g) and of the drumstick muscle in Al.2.Th by 14.8% (116.6 kcal/100 g). Regarding mineral elements, the highest significant increase in Cu content was found in Al.3.Th in the breast muscle (0.055 mg/kg) and drumstick muscle (0.112 mg/kg), by 44.7% and 25.8%, respectively, while Fe increased in Al.2.Th in the breast muscle and in Al.3.Th in the drumstick muscle by 15.7% and 12.2%, compared with C. In the organs, the greatest reduction in crude fat was observed in the heart in Al.3 by 20.1% (1.15 g/100 g), and in the gizzard and liver in Al.3.Th by 16.6% (5.48 g/100 g) and 34.6% (4.98 g/100 g), respectively, compared with C. The lowest energy value was found in the liver of the Al.3.Th group (120.6 kcal/100 g), in which the highest Cu (0.097 mg/kg) and Fe (0.728 mg/kg) contents were also recorded.
The results indicate that the inclusion of 3% garlic combined with 1% thyme had the most beneficial effect on the nutritional value of broiler chicken meat and organs, mainly by reducing crude fat content and increasing selected minerals.
Keywords: broiler chickens; garlic; meat; nutritional value; thyme
How to cite
Milewski S., Kiczorowska B., Fabjanowska J., Samolińska W., Klebaniuk R., 2026. Assessment of the effect of thyme and/or garlic on the chemical composition and mineral profile of muscles and selected organs of broiler chickens. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.A026