LAUSR

BACKGROUND Studies found that the addition of plant essential oils to feed had a positive effect on intestinal microflora and immunity in mice. However, the effect of different ways of ingestion of orange essential oil on mice has been seldom reported. In this paper, we investigated the effects of ingestion of orange essential oil by gavage, sniffing and feeding on intestinal microflora and immunity in mice. RESULTS The results showed that low concentration of essential oil feeding significantly increased the spleen index of mice (P < 0.05). The effect of different ways of ingestion on the thymus index, IgG and IgM of mice was not significant (P > 0.05). High and medium concentrations of essential oil feeding increased the level of IL-2 in mice (P < 0.05). H+ K+ -ATPase activity was significantly increased in mice fed with gavage and different concentrations of essential oil feed compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The analysis of the results of the microflora in the cecum and colon of mice indicated that the medium concentration of essential oil feeding group and the sniffing group significantly changed the structure of the flora and increased the diversity of the intestinal microflora. All three essential oil ingestion ways increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Lactobacillus in the intestine of mice. CONCLUSION Compared with gavage and feeding, sniffing had a significant effect on immunoglobulins in mice. All the three ingestion ways could affect the intestinal microflora of mice and increase the abundance of Lactobacillus. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.