Effect of clove ( <i>Eugenia caryophyllus</i> ) and cinnamon ( <i>Cinnamomum zeylanicum</i> ) essential oils in Nile tilapia diets on performance, antioxidant power and lipid oxidation in fillets

Abstract

This study evaluated the addition (0.35 and 0.70 g/kg feed) of clove (EOcl) or cinnamon (EOci) essential oils to Nile tilapia feed for 45 days to assess animal performance, antioxidant capacity and lipid oxidation in fillets. The design was completely randomised with five treatments and three replicates. Antioxidant capacity was determined by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORACFL), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylhydrate (DPPH), ferric reducing ability power (FRAP) and 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assays, and lipid oxidation was determined by the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARs) assay. Animal performance was not altered by adding the essential oils. The fillets treated with 0.35 g/kg of EOcl presented higher antioxidant capacity in the L-ORACFL assay and a 40.3% reduction in lipid oxidation, whereas the EOci provided a pro-oxidant effect relative to the control treatment. Based on these results, adding 0.35 g/kg of EOcl to the diet for 45 days before slaughter increased the antioxidant capacity and reduced the lipid oxidation of the fillets, contributing to product quality without altering animal performance.