The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of stinging nettle powder(SNP) on laying performance,egg quality,and some selected serum biochemical parameters of quails.One hundred a...The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of stinging nettle powder(SNP) on laying performance,egg quality,and some selected serum biochemical parameters of quails.One hundred and forty-four 10-wk-old Japanese quails(initial body weight=199±18 g) were divided into 3 dietary treatment groups(basic diet without SNP [SNPO],SNPO with 3% SNP [SNP3],SNPO with 6% SNP [SNP6]) with 4 replicates of 12 quails for a rearing period of 12 wk.At 22 wk of age,the final body weights of the SNP3 and SNP6 groups were significantly(P=0.001) reduced compared to that of the SNPO group.Daily feed intake was not statistically different among the groups.The mean number of eggs laid ranged from 65 to 69 with laying rates from 76.8% to 82.1%.The percentage of cracked eggs was not significantly different among the groups and ranged from 1.6% to 1.9%.The egg weight was similar and the feed conversion ratio was closer among the groups.The egg yolk cholesterol,serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels in the SNP6 group were significantly reduced(P <0.001) compared to those of the SNPO group.Serum Ca,P and Mg were not significantly influenced by the supplementation.In conclusion,the results demonstrated that the supplementation of SNP to the quail diet at the level of 6%reduced quail egg yolk cholesterol,serum total cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels and did not negatively influence quail performance.展开更多
The present study investigated the effect of partial replacement of soybean meal(Glycine max) with canola meal(CM)(Brassica napus) on the growth performance,haematology,serum biochemistry and meat quality characterist...The present study investigated the effect of partial replacement of soybean meal(Glycine max) with canola meal(CM)(Brassica napus) on the growth performance,haematology,serum biochemistry and meat quality characteristics of female Japanese quails in a 35-day feeding trial.One hundred and forty6-week-old quails 158.28 ± 11.919 g were randomly allocated to 5 isonitrogenous and isoenergetic experimental diets: control diet(CM0; with no CM inclusion); CM0 with 2.5%(CM25),5.0%(CM50),12.5%(CM125) and 17.5%(CM175) soybean meal replaced with CM.Average weekly gain(AWG) and feed conversion efficiency(FCE) were determined.Haematology,serum biochemistry,carcass traits and meat quality parameters were determined at slaughter.Quails fed CM175 had the lowest(P < 0.05) feed intake whereas no differences were observed among the other 4 diets.No dietary effects on AWG,FCE and haematological parameters were observed.Serum biochemical parameters were not influenced by diets with the exception of alkaline phosphatase(ALP),where quails fed CM25 had higher ALP(161.0 U/L) than those fed CM0(37.25 U/L).Quails fed CM25 had the highest chroma(7.39) while those fed CM125 had the lowest(3.58) at 24 h post-slaughter.Diets had no influence(P > 0.05) on cooking losses and peak positive force of quail meat.It was concluded that CM can replace soybean in quail diets up to 12.5% without compromising growth performance,health and quality of meat.Inclusion levels beyond 12.5% promoted poor voluntary feed intake and thus may require feed additives to enhance utilization.展开更多
To investigate factors involved in the secretion of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), a superficial eggshell pigment, from shell gland epithelial cells of Japanese quail, we cultured cells in Ham’s F12 medium with calcium ch...To investigate factors involved in the secretion of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), a superficial eggshell pigment, from shell gland epithelial cells of Japanese quail, we cultured cells in Ham’s F12 medium with calcium chloride and quail plasma. The addition of hormones (prostaglandin F2α, progesterone, estradiol-17β) to the medium did not change the PpIX concentration in the culture supernatant, but changing the calcium chloride (CaCl2) concentration did: a lower concentration of CaCl2 led to a higher PpIX concentration;0 mM CaCl2 enhanced the secretion of PpIX from epithelial cells prepared at 5 or 7 mM CaCl2. The result suggests that a drop in concentration of CaCl2 mimics the end of shell calcification and stimulates rapid secretion of PpIX in vivo. Bovine serum albumin was almost as effective as quail plasma for PpIX secretion in culture, and would facilitate further study of the mechanism of PpIX secretion.展开更多
The Japanese quail(Coturnix japonica) are popular both as an alternative protein source and as a model of choice for scientific research in several disciplines. There is limited published information on the histologic...The Japanese quail(Coturnix japonica) are popular both as an alternative protein source and as a model of choice for scientific research in several disciplines. There is limited published information on the histological features of the intestinal tract of Japanese quail. The only comprehensive reference is a book published in 1969. This study aims to fill that niche by providing a reference of general histological features of the Japanese quail, covering all the main sections of the intestinal tract. Both light and scanning electron microscope(SEM) images are presented. Results showed that the Japanese quail intestinal tract is very similar to that of the chicken with the exception of the luminal koilin membrane of the gizzard. Scanning electron microscopic photomicrographs show that in the Japanese quail koilin vertical rods are tightly packed together in a uniform manner making a carpet-like appearance. This differs in chicken where the conformations of vertical rods are arranged in clusters.展开更多
To examine the sex differences in the crowing behavior of the Japanese quail, we investigated the effects of sex steroids on calling behaviors using female birds, and the data were compared with those obtained in our ...To examine the sex differences in the crowing behavior of the Japanese quail, we investigated the effects of sex steroids on calling behaviors using female birds, and the data were compared with those obtained in our previous study in male birds which was performed using the same experimental procedures as those in the present study. We injected the female quails daily from 11 to 41 days after hatching with testosterone propionate (TP), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT;a non-aromatizable androgen), estradiol benzoate (EB) or vehicle, and examined their calling behaviors in both sexual and non-sexual contexts. In a non-sexual context of the birds being isolated in a recording chamber, androgens, either TP or DHT, induced crowing in place of distress calling while EB simply inhibited distress calling. These effects of sex steroids on the calling behaviors were almost identical to those in the male quails. In a sexual context of the birds being left undisturbed in their home cages, crowing was induced by chronic treatment with TP, but not either DHT or EB, suggesting that both estrogenic and androgenic actions are required to induce the sexually motivated crowing. Although these results were basically the same as those in the male quails, the crowing in the female quails occurred much less frequently compared to that of the male quails. These data suggest that in the Japanese quail, crowing behavior, when it is restricted to sexually motivated one, is quantitatively different between male and female in the responsiveness to sex steroids.展开更多
To investigate the secretion of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), superficial eggshell pigment, from shell gland cells of Japanese quail, the epithelial cells of the gland were collected and isolated for cultivation in vitro....To investigate the secretion of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), superficial eggshell pigment, from shell gland cells of Japanese quail, the epithelial cells of the gland were collected and isolated for cultivation in vitro. An analysis of a peak for PpIX in the cells was performed using a fluorescence microplate reader. The measurement showed that PpIX has a peak of excitation wavelength at 410 nm and emission wavelength at 606 nm in the culture medium (HamF12 + 4% HCl). Volumes of PpIX in the medium after 4 hour culture of the cells were measured with a microplate reader using filter set of excitation wavelength 400/30nm and emission wavelength 620/40nm. However the cells did not secrete significantly PpIX during 4 hour incubation in this culture system, addition of quail plasma to the medium resulted in significantly higher secretion. A cultivation system in this study is able to use for the study on the mechanism of the secretion of eggshell pigment, PpIX from Japanese quail shell gland epithelial cells.展开更多
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effects of Hydroethanolic leaves extract of <em>Persea americana</em> (HEPA) against Antouka Super<sup><span style="font-family:Ver...The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effects of Hydroethanolic leaves extract of <em>Persea americana</em> (HEPA) against Antouka Super<sup><span style="font-family:Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;white-space:normal;background-color:#FFFFFF;">®</sup></span>(AS) induced hepatotoxicity in male Japanese quail. In total, 40 immature male Japanese quails aged 28 days were used and divided equally into 5 groups. The groups were designed as the control group (received only a 10 ml/kg of distilled water) and the AS group (75 mg/kg b.w). Other three groups received AS (75 mg of AS/kg b.w) plus HEPA (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg b.w/day respectively) by the oral route. After 60 days of the experiment, the crushed liver was performed to obtain homogenate. The protective effects of HEPA on the biochemical parameters, oxidative stress biomarkers and histology changes in the liver were evaluated. The results indicated that AS treatment caused significant alterations in the clinical signs and behavior. It induces the increase in the content of Urea, Creatinine, Protein, AST and ALT in liver tissues and serum. The activities of enzymatic oxidative stress markers such as Superoxide Dismutase (SOD);Catalase (CAT) and Total Peroxidase (POD) also showed significant perturbations in AS-treated quails. Histopathological examination of the liver of AS-treated quails revealed liver lesions characterized by moderate to severe degenerative changes showing a number of hepatocytes undergo fatty changes, focal aggregation of the lymphocytes, multiple necrotic changes and inflammatory infiltrate. The administration of HEPA however, markedly ameliorated the toxicity of AS by protecting the levels of aforesaid biomarkers to near normal levels. These results suggested that HEPA due to its phytochemical constituents with antioxidant properties possesses significant effects against AS-induced toxicity. However, these effects were more pronounced at a dose of 200 mg/kg bw.展开更多
Three hundred, one-day-old Japanese quail （Coturnixjaponica） divided into four groups, with three subgroups each, were fed a basal diet that served as control, or a basal diet containing 6 g calcium formate （CF）/k...Three hundred, one-day-old Japanese quail （Coturnixjaponica） divided into four groups, with three subgroups each, were fed a basal diet that served as control, or a basal diet containing 6 g calcium formate （CF）/kg or 2 g mannan oligosaccharides （MOS）/kg or both 6 g CF/kg plus 2 g MOS/kg. On 21st and 42nd days the pH of the quail crop, proventriculus, gizzard, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, large intestine and ceca were measured in situ and the total aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms counts of the cecal content were recorded. Results showed that MOS decreased the cecal pH on the 42nd day and the total aerobic bacteria counts on 21st day. Moreover, CF decreased the cecal pH on the 42nd day and the lactic acid bacteria counts on 21st day. Interaction between MOS and CF was noticed on the cecal pH on the 42nd day, as the combined dietary addition of MOS and CF resulted in lower pH, compared to each separate addition. Also, interaction was noticed on the cecal bacterial counts on the 21st day, as the combined dietary addition of MOS and CF resulted in lower total aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriacea and coliform counts, compared to each separate addition.展开更多
To assess the effect of ginger rhizomes essential oil on some reproductive parameters of laying birds, 80 female Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) aged 3 weeks and weighing between 120 - 130 g were randomly...To assess the effect of ginger rhizomes essential oil on some reproductive parameters of laying birds, 80 female Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) aged 3 weeks and weighing between 120 - 130 g were randomly assigned into 4 dietary treatment groups in a completely randomized design. From 3 till 13 weeks, birds in group 1 (control) received distilled water orally (100 μl/kg body weight), while the other three test groups during the same period, received respectively by gavage 50, 100 and 150 μl of ginger roots essential oil per kg body weight. At 11 weeks old, eight birds per group in each treatment were randomly selected and slaughtered, blood samples collected for analysis. On the other hand, the remaining females were maintained 3 with one untreated male in identical boxes per treatment, for fertility assessment, eggs characteristics and hatchability traits. Throughout the experiment, biochemical parameters, eggs characteristics, fertility and hatchability traits were analyzed. No significant change (p > 0.05) was observed during the experimental period for body and relative ovary weights. Contrary, the relative uterus weight significantly increased (p < 0.05) in dose-dependent manner. The level of serum total proteins, LH, FSH and estradiol significantly increased (p < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. Also, fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs, total hatchability and chick’s weight significantly increased (p < 0.05) in birds received 100 and 150 μl/kg b.w compared to those of control group. On the other hand, embryonic mortality decreased significantly (p < 0.05) whatever the ginger rhizomes essential oil dose. It was concluded that ginger rhizomes essential oil enhances bird reproductive performances, proteins and reproductive hormone levels and hatchability traits in treated female quails.展开更多
文摘The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of stinging nettle powder(SNP) on laying performance,egg quality,and some selected serum biochemical parameters of quails.One hundred and forty-four 10-wk-old Japanese quails(initial body weight=199±18 g) were divided into 3 dietary treatment groups(basic diet without SNP [SNPO],SNPO with 3% SNP [SNP3],SNPO with 6% SNP [SNP6]) with 4 replicates of 12 quails for a rearing period of 12 wk.At 22 wk of age,the final body weights of the SNP3 and SNP6 groups were significantly(P=0.001) reduced compared to that of the SNPO group.Daily feed intake was not statistically different among the groups.The mean number of eggs laid ranged from 65 to 69 with laying rates from 76.8% to 82.1%.The percentage of cracked eggs was not significantly different among the groups and ranged from 1.6% to 1.9%.The egg weight was similar and the feed conversion ratio was closer among the groups.The egg yolk cholesterol,serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels in the SNP6 group were significantly reduced(P <0.001) compared to those of the SNPO group.Serum Ca,P and Mg were not significantly influenced by the supplementation.In conclusion,the results demonstrated that the supplementation of SNP to the quail diet at the level of 6%reduced quail egg yolk cholesterol,serum total cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels and did not negatively influence quail performance.
基金financial support from Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority towards this projectthe funding received from the North-West University Ph D bursary
文摘The present study investigated the effect of partial replacement of soybean meal(Glycine max) with canola meal(CM)(Brassica napus) on the growth performance,haematology,serum biochemistry and meat quality characteristics of female Japanese quails in a 35-day feeding trial.One hundred and forty6-week-old quails 158.28 ± 11.919 g were randomly allocated to 5 isonitrogenous and isoenergetic experimental diets: control diet(CM0; with no CM inclusion); CM0 with 2.5%(CM25),5.0%(CM50),12.5%(CM125) and 17.5%(CM175) soybean meal replaced with CM.Average weekly gain(AWG) and feed conversion efficiency(FCE) were determined.Haematology,serum biochemistry,carcass traits and meat quality parameters were determined at slaughter.Quails fed CM175 had the lowest(P < 0.05) feed intake whereas no differences were observed among the other 4 diets.No dietary effects on AWG,FCE and haematological parameters were observed.Serum biochemical parameters were not influenced by diets with the exception of alkaline phosphatase(ALP),where quails fed CM25 had higher ALP(161.0 U/L) than those fed CM0(37.25 U/L).Quails fed CM25 had the highest chroma(7.39) while those fed CM125 had the lowest(3.58) at 24 h post-slaughter.Diets had no influence(P > 0.05) on cooking losses and peak positive force of quail meat.It was concluded that CM can replace soybean in quail diets up to 12.5% without compromising growth performance,health and quality of meat.Inclusion levels beyond 12.5% promoted poor voluntary feed intake and thus may require feed additives to enhance utilization.
文摘To investigate factors involved in the secretion of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), a superficial eggshell pigment, from shell gland epithelial cells of Japanese quail, we cultured cells in Ham’s F12 medium with calcium chloride and quail plasma. The addition of hormones (prostaglandin F2α, progesterone, estradiol-17β) to the medium did not change the PpIX concentration in the culture supernatant, but changing the calcium chloride (CaCl2) concentration did: a lower concentration of CaCl2 led to a higher PpIX concentration;0 mM CaCl2 enhanced the secretion of PpIX from epithelial cells prepared at 5 or 7 mM CaCl2. The result suggests that a drop in concentration of CaCl2 mimics the end of shell calcification and stimulates rapid secretion of PpIX in vivo. Bovine serum albumin was almost as effective as quail plasma for PpIX secretion in culture, and would facilitate further study of the mechanism of PpIX secretion.
基金conducted within the Poultry CRC,established and supported under the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres Program
文摘The Japanese quail(Coturnix japonica) are popular both as an alternative protein source and as a model of choice for scientific research in several disciplines. There is limited published information on the histological features of the intestinal tract of Japanese quail. The only comprehensive reference is a book published in 1969. This study aims to fill that niche by providing a reference of general histological features of the Japanese quail, covering all the main sections of the intestinal tract. Both light and scanning electron microscope(SEM) images are presented. Results showed that the Japanese quail intestinal tract is very similar to that of the chicken with the exception of the luminal koilin membrane of the gizzard. Scanning electron microscopic photomicrographs show that in the Japanese quail koilin vertical rods are tightly packed together in a uniform manner making a carpet-like appearance. This differs in chicken where the conformations of vertical rods are arranged in clusters.
文摘To examine the sex differences in the crowing behavior of the Japanese quail, we investigated the effects of sex steroids on calling behaviors using female birds, and the data were compared with those obtained in our previous study in male birds which was performed using the same experimental procedures as those in the present study. We injected the female quails daily from 11 to 41 days after hatching with testosterone propionate (TP), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT;a non-aromatizable androgen), estradiol benzoate (EB) or vehicle, and examined their calling behaviors in both sexual and non-sexual contexts. In a non-sexual context of the birds being isolated in a recording chamber, androgens, either TP or DHT, induced crowing in place of distress calling while EB simply inhibited distress calling. These effects of sex steroids on the calling behaviors were almost identical to those in the male quails. In a sexual context of the birds being left undisturbed in their home cages, crowing was induced by chronic treatment with TP, but not either DHT or EB, suggesting that both estrogenic and androgenic actions are required to induce the sexually motivated crowing. Although these results were basically the same as those in the male quails, the crowing in the female quails occurred much less frequently compared to that of the male quails. These data suggest that in the Japanese quail, crowing behavior, when it is restricted to sexually motivated one, is quantitatively different between male and female in the responsiveness to sex steroids.
文摘To investigate the secretion of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), superficial eggshell pigment, from shell gland cells of Japanese quail, the epithelial cells of the gland were collected and isolated for cultivation in vitro. An analysis of a peak for PpIX in the cells was performed using a fluorescence microplate reader. The measurement showed that PpIX has a peak of excitation wavelength at 410 nm and emission wavelength at 606 nm in the culture medium (HamF12 + 4% HCl). Volumes of PpIX in the medium after 4 hour culture of the cells were measured with a microplate reader using filter set of excitation wavelength 400/30nm and emission wavelength 620/40nm. However the cells did not secrete significantly PpIX during 4 hour incubation in this culture system, addition of quail plasma to the medium resulted in significantly higher secretion. A cultivation system in this study is able to use for the study on the mechanism of the secretion of eggshell pigment, PpIX from Japanese quail shell gland epithelial cells.
文摘The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effects of Hydroethanolic leaves extract of <em>Persea americana</em> (HEPA) against Antouka Super<sup><span style="font-family:Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;white-space:normal;background-color:#FFFFFF;">®</sup></span>(AS) induced hepatotoxicity in male Japanese quail. In total, 40 immature male Japanese quails aged 28 days were used and divided equally into 5 groups. The groups were designed as the control group (received only a 10 ml/kg of distilled water) and the AS group (75 mg/kg b.w). Other three groups received AS (75 mg of AS/kg b.w) plus HEPA (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg b.w/day respectively) by the oral route. After 60 days of the experiment, the crushed liver was performed to obtain homogenate. The protective effects of HEPA on the biochemical parameters, oxidative stress biomarkers and histology changes in the liver were evaluated. The results indicated that AS treatment caused significant alterations in the clinical signs and behavior. It induces the increase in the content of Urea, Creatinine, Protein, AST and ALT in liver tissues and serum. The activities of enzymatic oxidative stress markers such as Superoxide Dismutase (SOD);Catalase (CAT) and Total Peroxidase (POD) also showed significant perturbations in AS-treated quails. Histopathological examination of the liver of AS-treated quails revealed liver lesions characterized by moderate to severe degenerative changes showing a number of hepatocytes undergo fatty changes, focal aggregation of the lymphocytes, multiple necrotic changes and inflammatory infiltrate. The administration of HEPA however, markedly ameliorated the toxicity of AS by protecting the levels of aforesaid biomarkers to near normal levels. These results suggested that HEPA due to its phytochemical constituents with antioxidant properties possesses significant effects against AS-induced toxicity. However, these effects were more pronounced at a dose of 200 mg/kg bw.
文摘Three hundred, one-day-old Japanese quail （Coturnixjaponica） divided into four groups, with three subgroups each, were fed a basal diet that served as control, or a basal diet containing 6 g calcium formate （CF）/kg or 2 g mannan oligosaccharides （MOS）/kg or both 6 g CF/kg plus 2 g MOS/kg. On 21st and 42nd days the pH of the quail crop, proventriculus, gizzard, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, large intestine and ceca were measured in situ and the total aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms counts of the cecal content were recorded. Results showed that MOS decreased the cecal pH on the 42nd day and the total aerobic bacteria counts on 21st day. Moreover, CF decreased the cecal pH on the 42nd day and the lactic acid bacteria counts on 21st day. Interaction between MOS and CF was noticed on the cecal pH on the 42nd day, as the combined dietary addition of MOS and CF resulted in lower pH, compared to each separate addition. Also, interaction was noticed on the cecal bacterial counts on the 21st day, as the combined dietary addition of MOS and CF resulted in lower total aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriacea and coliform counts, compared to each separate addition.
文摘To assess the effect of ginger rhizomes essential oil on some reproductive parameters of laying birds, 80 female Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) aged 3 weeks and weighing between 120 - 130 g were randomly assigned into 4 dietary treatment groups in a completely randomized design. From 3 till 13 weeks, birds in group 1 (control) received distilled water orally (100 μl/kg body weight), while the other three test groups during the same period, received respectively by gavage 50, 100 and 150 μl of ginger roots essential oil per kg body weight. At 11 weeks old, eight birds per group in each treatment were randomly selected and slaughtered, blood samples collected for analysis. On the other hand, the remaining females were maintained 3 with one untreated male in identical boxes per treatment, for fertility assessment, eggs characteristics and hatchability traits. Throughout the experiment, biochemical parameters, eggs characteristics, fertility and hatchability traits were analyzed. No significant change (p > 0.05) was observed during the experimental period for body and relative ovary weights. Contrary, the relative uterus weight significantly increased (p < 0.05) in dose-dependent manner. The level of serum total proteins, LH, FSH and estradiol significantly increased (p < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. Also, fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs, total hatchability and chick’s weight significantly increased (p < 0.05) in birds received 100 and 150 μl/kg b.w compared to those of control group. On the other hand, embryonic mortality decreased significantly (p < 0.05) whatever the ginger rhizomes essential oil dose. It was concluded that ginger rhizomes essential oil enhances bird reproductive performances, proteins and reproductive hormone levels and hatchability traits in treated female quails.
