Essential oils - CRINA®

Essential oils are concentrated liquids containing volatile aromatic compound extracts from plants. The term “essential oils” is misleading because it does not mean that they are essential for nutrition or metabolism; nor are they oils in the sense of being lipids. They are volatile aromatic compounds from plant materials typically obtained by steam or water distillation or, occasionally, by expression or solvent extraction.

Essential oils are mixtures of molecules belonging to different classes of chemical compounds, the main ones being alcohols, aldehydes, amines, esters and terpenes. Their composition varies significantly due to great differences in the starting plant materials: plant hybrids, growing conditions, processing methods and many other factors.

Because of their wide range of properties, essential oils find applications in many different sectors: perfumery, cosmetics, food as flavours, incense, aromatheraphy, cleaning industry, etc.

In animal nutrition, pioneers have first investigated the possible applications for essential oils or plant extracts. An increasing interest has recently been observed among scientists. This has resulted in intensified research activities and publications of trial results conducted with either plant extracts or essential oils. Results have however been variable and inconsistent. Great variations in the content of active ingredients of the extracts or oils tested may explain the contradictory, or even, the lack of results obtained. Nowadays, researchers are nevertheless convinced that compounds found in plant extracts, or even better in essential oils, will have a key role to play in modern husbandry.

The prevailing opinion is that research should first be conducted in vivo with pure active compounds to explain their mode of action. Possible synergetic effects between compounds should simultaneously be investigated. In vitro trial observations should then be validated in vivo under well-controlled research conditions. Finally, these in vivo trial results should be confirmed under various filed conditions.

In 1980, CRINA® (Centre de Recherches International de Nutrition et Alimentation), then a private research centre for animal nutrition, recognised the significant role that essential oils could play as digestive stimulants in livestock production. Following extensive research, a range of precisely formulated and consistent blends of essential oil compounds, marketed under the CRINA ® trademark, was developed. CRINA® Poultry, CRINA® Piglets, CRINA® Finishing Pigs and Sows stimulate superior feed digestibility and regulate gut microflora. CRINA® Ruminants reduces the rate of protein and starch breakdown in the rumen, as well as ruminal deamination and therefore increases rumen by-pass. All compounds used in CRINA® products are approved for feed and food and appear on the FEMA (Flavour and Extracts Manufacturers Association) and/or GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) listings.