Essential Oils, Chemical Compounds, and Their Effects on the Gut Microorganisms and Broiler Chicken Production: Review

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Please see the attachment.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Moderate editing of English required, but the manuscript needs to be greatly improved for clarity, structure and readability.

Author Response

Revisor 1.

 

Comments:

This manuscript requires substantial improvement to enhance its clarity, structure, and readability before it is ready for publication.

Response: To cover this aspect, the manuscript was improved considering the comments made by reviewers and editor

 

Major Comments:

Content Restructuring: The manuscript would benefit from a restructuring to align more closely with the title and core themes. Key topics to consider adding or reorganizing include:

1. Types of essential oils and their bioactive compounds.
2. Mode of action of bioactive compounds from key essential oils, with a focus on:

2.1. Antibiotic activity

2.2. Antioxidant activity

2.3. Anti-inflammatory properties

3. The role of broiler gut microorganisms and the impact of essential oils on gut health.
4. Effects of essential oils on overall broiler production performance.

Response: We grouped all the points related to broiler chicken production.

 

Other Comments:

1. Title:

The title could be more precise and focused on the main themes of the manuscript. Clarify how essential oils differ from chemical compounds and reflect this distinction in the title.

 

Response: we changed the title as it was suggested.

 

 

2. Abstract:

2.1. The opening sentence is vague. Replace "was revised" with a more specific term.

Response: good observation. Now we use “evaluated through the systematic analysis of scientific reports.”

 

 

2.2. In lines 10-11, stay focused on the relevance of essential oils in broiler production, avoiding unnecessary digressions into unrelated fields.

Response: good observation. We corrected this aspect into manuscript.

 

2.3. The objective of the review is not clearly stated until halfway through the abstract. Consider stating it earlier to give readers a clearer sense of direction.

Response: the objective was moved to the first part of abstract.

 

2.4. The conclusion could be more impactful. Rather than just summarizing the benefits of essential oils, highlight their potential as a sustainable alternative to antibiotics in broiler production and suggest areas for future research.

     Response: the conclusion was rewritten according with the observation, thanks.

 

3. Introduction:

The introduction provides a good foundation, but the flow and clarity can be improved. Some points require further expansion for better impact.

 

3.1. The section introducing natural products and essential oils should focus more specifically on their relevance to poultry production.

 

Response: A section was added to the document indicating the benefits of using AE and its molecules in animal health.

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• 2. Clarify the scope of the review by providing a precise objective statement about what the review will cover.
• Response: the objective was modified according with the observation
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• 3. Table 1 should be moved out of the introduction section. Consider combining it with Table 2 and placing it in a more appropriate section with detailed explanations.

            Response: the table was moved to the next section of the manuscript

 

 

 

• 4. The column title "Essential Oil" in Table 1: Is lemongrass considered an essential oil? If not, adjust the column title accordingly.

Response: the table was corrected

 

4. Methods and Content Structure:

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• 1. The sections “Methods of Extraction and Determination” and “4. Antimicrobial Activity Determination” may not be necessary. Consider whether these sections contribute directly to the objectives of the review.
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• The indicated sections have been removed.
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• 2. The section; Types of Essential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity” is difficult to read and should include more detailed descriptions of the modes of action of key essential oils.

EO modes of action were included

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• 3. The section. Essential Oils on Microbes from the Digestive Tract of Broilers” requires more detail to align with the title. Consider presenting data in a table format with details such as the bioactive compounds, dosage, duration, method of use, and target microorganisms.

 

The description of the microbiota of broiler chickens was included in the text.

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• 4. The section “Influence of Essential Oil Molecules on Broiler Chicken Production” would also benefit from a table format, including bioactive compounds, dosages, duration, usage methods, and effects on production performance (e.g., ADG, FCR, weight gain).

Response: good recommendation. We included the new table, according with the observation, thanks, by the observation.

 

 

5. Section Restructuring:

• 1. Sections 8-14 require restructuring to enhance readability. Consider merging similar sections or grouping them to reduce redundancy. The content should be more synthesized and findings from multiple studies should be compiled in a cohesive narrative, rather than listing results sequentially. Focus on highlighting key insights and connections between the studies.

Response: good recommendation. These sections were restructuring to enhance readability

 

6. Conclusion:

• The conclusion is needed and should be more closely aligned with the aims of the manuscript. Reinforce the main findings and suggest clear directions for future research.
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Response: good recommendation. The conclusion was included and considered this aspect.

 

 

 

 

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The review presented is of great importance for the area of ​​animal products. I suggest some changes:

Remove the numbers from the keywords; Remove the words present in the title from the keywords. The authors should use other words associated with their research, since the title is already used to search for similar articles.

The introduction should present a survey of the main points covered in the review and the importance of the topic addressed. The inserted table should be present in one of the next items covered, not in the introduction. Therefore, it is necessary to restructure this item.

Insert an objective at the end of the introduction.

I suggest that an item detailing the method used to select the articles used in writing the review article be inserted after the introduction. The authors begin presenting the method in the abstract, but do not address anything about it in the structure of the text. What were the keywords used to search for the articles? What were the bases used for the search? Were the articles selected in only one language? How were the articles selected? What is the total number of articles entered into the database and, after selection by removing articles that did not address the theme and duplicate articles, how many articles remained in this literary database? What was the publication period of the articles? Was there any criterion for selecting articles according to the journal's impact factor?

Topics 3, 4 and 14 are little explored and this should be improved

Authors must follow the journal's standards and correct all citations and references in the text structure.

It is necessary to include the "Final Considerations"

The items below must be filled out: Author Contributions: Data Availability Statement: Conflicts of Interest:

Author Response

Revisor 2

The review presented is of great importance for the area of ​​animal products. I suggest some changes:

Remove the numbers from the keywords; Remove the words present in the title from the keywords. The authors should use other words associated with their research, since the title is already used to search for similar articles.

Response: good observation, we corrected this aspect into manuscript

 

 

The introduction should present a survey of the main points covered in the review and the importance of the topic addressed. The inserted table should be present in one of the next items covered, not in the introduction. Therefore, it is necessary to restructure this item.

Response: We corrected this aspect into manuscript

 

 

Insert an objective at the end of the introduction.

Response: good observation, we corrected this aspect into manuscript

 

 

 

I suggest that an item detailing the method used to select the articles used in writing the review article be inserted after the introduction. The authors begin presenting the method in the abstract, but do not address anything about it in the structure of the text. What were the keywords used to search for the articles? What were the bases used for the search? Were the articles selected in only one language? How were the articles selected? What is the total number of articles entered into the database and, after selection by removing articles that did not address the theme and duplicate articles, how many articles remained in this literary database? What was the publication period of the articles? Was there any criterion for selecting articles according to the journal's impact factor?

Response: good observation, we corrected this aspect into manuscript

 

 

Topics 3, 4 and 14 are little explored and this should be improved

Response: good observation, we corrected this aspect into manuscript

 

 

 

Authors must follow the journal's standards and correct all citations and references in the text structure.

Response: good observation, we corrected this aspect into manuscript

 

It is necessary to include the "Final Considerations"

Response: good observation, we incorporate the conclusion, according to the suggestion.

 

The items below must be filled out: Author Contributions: Data Availability Statement: Conflicts of Interest:

Response: good observation, we corrected this aspect into manuscript

 

 

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

pleas see the attachment.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor editing of English language required.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf