Performance, meat quality, and lipidemia of meat-type quails fed with diets containing essential oils / Desempenho, qualidade da carne e lipidemia de codornas de corte alimentadas com rações contendo óleos essenciais

This study evaluated the effect of essential oil (ESOL) of Mentha piperita and Melaleuca alternifolia on meat-type quails. To examine performance, a completely randomized design was used, with four treatments and eight repetitions each, using seven birds per repetition. To assess lipidemia, a completely randomized design in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme was used, with four treatments and two collection conditions using eight repetitions and one bird per repetition. Weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, carcass yield, cholesterol, high-density lipoporteins, triglycerides, pH, and brightness of quail breast meat were assessed. The data were analyzed for homoscedasticity and normality, and the means were subjected to analysis of variance. Adding M. piperita and M. alternifolia ESOL to the diets of meat-type quails can improve performance, carcass yield, and meat quality characteristics, comparable to the use of performance-enhancing antibiotics. The use of zinc bacitracin, M. piperita, and M. alternifolia under different collection conditions did not increase the serum levels of low-density and very low-density lipoproteins. The variation coefficients measured after 12 hours of fasting were 86% lower than without fasting.

Objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar o efeito do uso dos óleos essenciais (OLES) de Mentha piperita e Melaleuca alternifolia em codornas de corte. Para o estudo do desempenho foi utilizado o delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com quatrotratamentos e oito repetições, sendo sete aves por repetição. Para o estudo da lipidemia utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial: 4x2, consistindo em quatro tratamentos e duas condições de coleta, com oito repetições, sendo uma ave por repetição. As variáveis analisadas foram: ganho de peso, consumo ração, conversão alimentar, rendimento de carcaça, colesterol, HDL, triglicerídeos, pH, capacidade de retenção de água, perda de peso por cozimento, luminosidade na carne do peito de codornas. Os dados obtidos foram analisados quanto à homocedasticidade e normalidade, as médias foram submetidas à análise de variância. O uso de OLES de M. piperita e M. alternifolia na dieta de codornas de corte pode proporcionar desempenhos zootécnicos, rendimentos de carcaça e características de qualidade da carne comparáveis ao uso de antibióticos melhoradores de desempenho. A redução no nível de colesterol HDL foi notada nas aves tratadas com Bacitracina de zinco e com os OLES de M. piperita e M. alternifolia, em 8,12; 16,52 e 3,36% respectivamente. O uso da Bacitracina de zinco, da M. piperita e da M. alternifolia associado às diferentes condições de coleta não aumentaram os valores séricos de LDL, VLDL. Os coeficientes de variação aferidos na condição "após 12 horas de jejum" apresentaram-se 86% inferiores à condição "sem jejum".

Replacement level of rubber seed cake for soybean meal on the growth of Japanese quail / Nível de substituição do bolo de semente de borracha pelo farelo de soja no crescimento da codorna japonesa

A four-week feeding trial on the simultaneous replacement of 0 to 50% of soybean meal and 0 to 100% of soybean oil on the growth performance, carcass composition and profitability was conducted using 45 randomly chosen one-week-old growing Japanese quail. The five experimental diets were; D0= Diet containing 20% soybean meal and 4% soybean oil (control diet), D1= Diet, where 12.5% of soybean meal and 25% of soybean oil has been replaced by RSC; T2 = Diet, where 25% of soybean meal and 50% of soybean oil has been replaced by RSC; T3 = Diet, where 37.5% of soybean meal and 75% of soybean oil has been replaced by RSC; T4 = Diet, where 50% of soybean meal and 100% of soybean oil has been replaced by RSC. Results demonstrated that in raw rubber seed the proportion of kernel to hull is 64: 36. Proximate components of the boiled and sundried full fat rubber seed kernel (RS) were, moisture = 96.6%, ME = 5305 kcal / kg DM, CP = 17.6%, EE = 51.05%, CF = 8.5%, NFE = 18.25% and Ash = 4.6%. The body weights of the birds at 35 days of age in all dietary treatments were statistically similar. The feed intake of the quail among different dietary groups was varied significantly (p 0.05) at higher RSC inclusion level. The muscle development was found to better at lower (%) RSC level, whereas the organs were enlarged at higher RSC inclusion. Results on the majority of the production parameters, and economics and carcass yield parameters suggested that the simultaneous replacement of maximum 50% soybean oil 25% soybean meal by processed RSC might be suggested, particularly, there will be a crisis in the availability of these two ingredients.

Um ensaio de alimentação de quatro semanas na substituição simultânea de 0 a 50% de farelo de soja e 0 a 100% de óleo de soja no desempenho de crescimento, composição de carcaça e lucratividade foi conduzido usando 45 codornas japonesas em crescimento com uma semana de idade escolhidas aleatoriamente. As cinco dietas experimentais foram: D0 = Dieta contendo 20% de farelo de soja e 4% de óleo de soja (dieta controle); D1 = Dieta, onde 12,5% de farelo de soja e 25% de óleo de soja foram substituídos por RSC; T2 = Dieta, onde 25% do farelo de soja e 50% do óleo de soja foram substituídos por RSC; T3 = Dieta, onde 37,5% do farelo de soja e 75% do óleo de soja foram substituídos por RSC; e T4 = Dieta, onde 50% do farelo de soja e 100% do óleo de soja foram substituídos por RSC. Os resultados demonstraram que em sementes de borracha crua a proporção de kernel para casca é 64: 36. Os componentes próximos do caroço de semente de borracha gordurosa fervida e seca ao sol foram: umidade = 96,6%; EM = 5305 kcal / kg MS; CP = 17,6%; EE = 51,05%; CF = 8,5%; NFE = 18,25%; e Ash = 4,6%. Os pesos corporais das aves aos 35 dias de idade em todos os tratamentos dietéticos foram estatisticamente semelhantes. O consumo de ração das codornas entre os diferentes grupos dietéticos variou significativamente (p 0,05) no nível de inclusão de RSC mais alto. Constatou-se que o desenvolvimento muscular melhorou com o nível de RSC mais baixo (%), enquanto os órgãos aumentaram com a inclusão de RSC mais alta. Os resultados sobre a maioria dos parâmetros de produção e parâmetros econômicos e [...].

Parental methyl-enhanced diet and in ovo corticosterone affect first generation Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) development, behaviour and stress response.

The role of maternal investment in avian offspring has considerable life history implications on production traits and therefore potential for the poultry industry. A first generation (G1) of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were bred from a 2 × 2 factorial design. Parents were fed either a control or methyl-enhanced (HiBET) diet, and their eggs were treated with a vehicle or corticosterone injection during day 5 of incubation. A subset of G1 birds were subjected to an open field trial (OFT) and capture-restraint stress protocol. Significant effects of HiBET diet were found on parental egg and liver weights, G1 hatch, liver and female reproductive tract weights, egg productivity, latency to leave the OFT central zone, male baseline 11-dehydrocorticosterone, and female androstenedione plasma concentrations. In ovo treatment significantly affected latency to return to the OFT, male baseline testosterone and androstenedione, and change in androstenedione plasma concentration. Diet by treatment interactions were significant for G1 liver weight and male baseline plasma concentrations of corticosterone. These novel findings suggest significant positive effects on reproduction, growth, precociousness, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function from enhanced methyl diets, and are important in understanding how in ovo stressors (representing maternal stress), affect the first offspring generation.

Role of clay in detoxification of aflatoxin B1 in growing Japanese quail with reference to gender.

The present study investigated the influence of the quail diet polluted with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and its detoxification by using clay as a feed additive on the growth performance and some blood biochemical components of growing Japanese quail with reference to sex. A total number of 120 Japanese quail chicks (1 week old), was randomly divided into 10 groups (24 chicks/ group). A 5 × 2 factorial arrangement experiment was performed and included five levels of AFB1 (0 ppm, 1 mg/kg AFB1, 1 mg/kg AFB1 + 1% clay, 2 mg/kg AFB1 and 2 mg/kg AFB1 + 1% clay) and two sexes. Birds fed with aflatoxin free diet had significantly (P ≤ 0.05 and 0.01) higher final live body weight, weight gain and lower mortality rate than the other groups. Addition of 1% clay significantly (P ≤ 0.05 and 0.01) improved the growth performance traits and diminished aflatoxin effect when compared to groups without the addition of clay. Obtained results indicated significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences between the two sexes in their response to aflatoxicosis in the final live body weight and weight gain. Our results showed significant (P ≤ 0.01) changes in all blood biochemicals (total protein, albumin, globulin, total cholesterol, creatinine, uric acid) and activities of serum enzymes studied due to the toxicity of AFB1. Conclusively, the consumption of polluted diets with AFB1 caused deleterious effects on the growth performance and blood biochemicals components of Japanese quail, while dietary addition of natural clay to the diet of growing Japanese quail caused beneficial effects.

Quantitative trait loci for growth-related traits in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) using restriction-site associated DNA sequencing.

This study aimed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for growth-related traits by constructing a genetic linkage map based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in Japanese quail. A QTL mapping population of 277 F2 birds was obtained from an intercross between a male of a large-sized strain and three females of a normal-sized strain. Body weight (BW) was measured weekly from hatching to 16 weeks of age. Non-linear regression growth models of Weibull, Logistic, Gompertz, Richards, and Brody were analyzed, and growth curve parameters of Richards was selected as the best model to describe the quail growth curve of the F2 birds. Restriction-site associated DNA sequencing developed 125 SNP markers that were informative between their parental strains. The SNP markers were distributed on 16 linkage groups that spanned 795.9 centiMorgan (cM) with an average marker interval of 7.3 cM. QTL analysis of phenotypic traits revealed four main-effect QTLs. Detected QTLs were located on chromosomes 1 and 3 and were associated with BW from 4 to 16 weeks of age and asymptotic weight of Richards model at genome-wide significant at 1% or 5% level. No QTL was detected for BW from 0 to 3 weeks of age. This is the first report identified QTLs for asymptotic weight of the Richards parameter in Japanese quail. These results highlight that the combination of QTL studies and the RAD-seq method will aid future breeding programs identify genes underlying the QTL and the application of marker-assisted selection in the poultry industry, particularly the Japanese quail.

Effect of prenatal ambient temperature on the performance physiological parameters, and oxidative metabolism of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) layers exposed to heat stress during growth.

A strategy to mitigate the negative effects of stress on animals is to enhance their ability to beneficially respond to stressful conditions. This study aimed to assess whether prenatal ambient temperature influences the response of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) chicks to environmental challenges during growth. The experiment was conducted in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: two temperature conditions for the mothers (thermoneutral and heat stress by continuous exposure to 32 °C) and two offspring ambient temperature conditions (thermoneutral and heat stress by intermittent exposure to 34 °C for 6 h/day from 15 to 35 days of age). Heat stress in mothers led to lower laying rate, egg mass, expression of methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MSRA) gene, and antioxidant capacity as well as higher chick mortality rate (1-15 days of age). Maternal heat stress led to lower weight gain and total antioxidant capacity and higher feed conversion ratio. Maternal temperature × Offspring temperature interaction effects were observed on carbonylated protein content and HSP70, GSS, and MSRA gene expression. It was observed that, for chicks hatched from heat-stressed mothers, exposure to heat stress led to higher carbonylated protein content and HSP70 expression than exposure to thermoneutral conditions. Maternal heat stress was also responsible for increasing GSS expression in chicks grown under thermoneutral conditions. Chicks hatched from non-stressed mothers and subjected to heat stress had higher MSRA expression compared to chicks maintained in a thermoneutral environment. Our results show that, although maternal heat stress had no negative effects on performance or oxidative metabolism of offspring grown under thermoneutral conditions, it was associated with lower performance and higher protein oxidation in offspring exposed to heat stress during growth. These results could be due in part to alterations in the expression of genes related to antioxidant capacity.

Effects of genetically modified maize expressing Cry1Ab and EPSPS proteins on Japanese quail.

A 49-d feeding study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the genetically modified (GM) maize strain C0030.3.5 on Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) in terms of body performance and egg quality. Furthermore, the bodily fats of transgenic proteins in the Japanese quails were investigated. The results showed that the parameters body weight, hematology, serum chemistry, relative organ weight, and histopathological appearance were normal in male and female quails that consumed GM diets, and no differences could be attributed to the varying diets in regard to the laying performances or nutrient egg compositions between the groups. Furthermore, the transgenic Cry1Ab and EPSPS proteins were undetectable by Western blot in the blood, organ, fecal, and whole egg samples of quails fed a diet containing GM maize. The results obtained after 49 d suggested that consumption of C0030.3.5 transgenic feed did not adversely affect quail health or egg quality, and there was no evidence of transgenic protein translocation to the blood, tissues, feces, and eggs. Based on the different parameters assessed, C0030.3.5 transgenic maize is a safe food source for quails that does not differ in quality from non-GM maize.

Ellagic acid plays an important role in enhancing productive performance and alleviating oxidative stress, apoptosis in laying quail exposed to lead toxicity.

Lead (Pb) is one of the most toxic heavy metal environmental pollutants due to its widespread use of the industry and it is a harmful substance for human and animal health. This study was conducted to investigate the potential protective effects of ellagic acid (EA) on performance, egg quality, antioxidant parameters, and apoptotic pathway proteins in laying quails exposed to Pb toxicity. A total of 168 (15-week old) laying quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) were divided into 6 experimental groups (with similar initial average body weight). Birds were fed 1 of 6 diets for 8 weeks: 1 - Control (basal diet), 2 - Pb (basal diet + 100 mg/kg Pb), 3 - EA-300 (basal diet + 300 mg/kg EA), 4 - EA-500 (basal diet + 500 mg/kg EA), 5 - Pb + EA-300 (basal diet + 100 mg/kg Pb + 300 mg/kg EA), 6 - Pb + EA-500 (basal diet + 100 mg/kg Pb + 500 mg/kg EA). The results showed that adding 100 mg/kg of Pb to basal diet was adversely affected the performance parameters and, feed intake and egg production were significantly decreased by Pb supplementation (P < 0.01). However, the EA supplementation to Pb groups improved the performance parameters. Compared with the Pb alone group, in Pb + EA-500 group increased egg production by 8.4%. There were no significant differences in the Haugh unit, albumen index, and yolk index among groups (P > 0.05). Liver and kidney tissues of Pb group malondialdehyde (MDA) level increased (P < 0.001) and, GSH, GSH-Px, and CAT values decreased (P < 0.001) but, EA supplementation alleviated this condition (P < 0.001). The protein levels of caspase-3 and -9 were significantly increased in the Pb group compared to the control group, whereas EA supplementation alleviated the Pb-induced apoptosis by decreasing caspase-3 and -9 levels in the liver tissue (p < 0.001). In laying quails exposed to Pb toxicity, EA supplementation improves the performance parameters, enhances the antioxidant defense system, and suppresses apoptosis via regulates the expression of caspase-3 and -9. Thus, it was concluded that EA (especially 500 mg/kg) can ameliorate the toxic effects of Pb exposure in quails.

Growth, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and microbial aspects of growing quail fed diets enriched with two different types of probiotics (Bacillus toyonensis and Bifidobacterium bifidum).

The present investigation aimed to explore the impact of dietary graded levels of 2 types of probiotic bacteria (Bacillus toyonensis [BT] and Bifidobacterium bifidum [BB]) on growth, carcass traits, meat quality, and bacteriology of growing Japanese quail reared under the cage system. One thousand three hundred sixty Japanese quail day-old chicks were randomly divided into 10 groups (8 replicates each). Birds were fed a basal diet (control, T1) and the basal diet plus 0.05, 0.075, 0.10, and 0.125% BT (T2, T3, T4, and T5, respectively), 0.10% BB (T6), and the same previous doses of BT plus 0.05% BB (T7, T8, T9, and T10, respectively). Results showed a significant (P < 0.001) increase in final BW and weight gain because of probiotic supplementation (except T2 for weight gain). Both feed intake and feed conversion ratio did not differ during the overall experimental period (1-42 D of age) except feed intake that was reduced in T2 and increased in T5 and T9 groups. All carcass traits studied were significantly (P < 0.01) affected by probiotics, and the combination between BT and BB in group T8 increased all studied parameters as compared with the other treatment groups. The quail meat color of redness a∗ and L∗ values, thiobarbituric content, cooking loss, proteolysis, and total coliform were decreased (P < 0.001) by probiotic treatment. In general, supplementing BT, BB, or their combination to the basal diet delayed the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria in the diet and intestine. Using BT and BB as feed supplements enhanced growth performance and meat quality of quails as well as diminished pathogenic bacteria proliferation in their diet and intestine. As per our results, we can recommend the application of T5 and T8 to T10 levels for the best performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of growing quails.

Effects of tryptophan and probiotic supplementation on growth and behavior in quail.

In laying hens, a diet supplemented with tryptophan (Trp) has been shown to affect their pecking behavior. However, unlike this positive effect, Trp is also involved in negative effects on behavior and stress through indolic pathways. Indole production can be reduced by probiotics (Pro), thus we hypothesized that Pro may prevent negative effects of Trp and increase beneficial effects on behavior in birds. Combined effects of Pro and Trp were also expected. To investigate the effects on behavior in birds of supplementing with a high level of Trp with or without Pro, Japanese quail were used because their behavior can be influenced by Pediococcus acidilactici, and they can be highly aggressive. Quails (n = 120) were assigned to 4 groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design for 55 d: C-C (control diet with usual Trp level, 0.3%; without Pro; n = 30), Trp-C (Trp: 2%; without Pro; n = 30), C-Pro (control diet; with Pro: 1 x 109 CFU/L P. acidilactici in drinking water; n = 30), and Trp-Pro (Trp 2%; with Pro; n = 30). Body weight was measured every week, and different tests were conducted to investigate behavioral characteristics of each quail. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was almost no interaction between Trp and Pro treatments. Tryptophan supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) reduced live weight up to 27 d, whereas Pro treatment had no effect. There was no significant difference between groups for tonic immobility variables (P > 0.05). The birds fed the high Trp diet spent significantly less time in the periphery of the open field than those fed the control diet and moved less in the arena during the social isolation test. Interindividual distances were significantly lower in males fed with Trp 2% than with the control diet, whereas Trp and Pro supplements interacted in females. The treatments did not affect sexual motivation in males. These results indicate that a high level of Trp reduced growth and appeared to enhance emotional reactivity in quails and that supplementing with Pro did not reduce these effects. In conclusion, feeding high Trp for 55 d cannot be recommended as a strategy to improve social behavior unlike effects observed in laying hens.

The effects of chronic lead exposure on the ovaries of female juvenile Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica): Developmental delay, histopathological alterations, hormone release disruption and gene expression disorder.

Lead (Pb) is well-recognized for its great hazards to human and wildlife health. It has negative influences on multiple organs and systems of birds. Especially, lead exposure caused adverse impacts on bird reproduction. In this study, one week old female Japanese quails were randomly allocated into four groups and each group was respectively fed with 0, 50 ppm, 500 ppm and 1000 ppm Pb in drinking water for 36 days to determine the effects of chronic lead exposure on ovarian development and function. The results showed that Pb did accumulate in the ovary and ovarian development was delayed by high dose lead exposure (500 ppm and 1000 ppm). Moreover, high Pb dosage induced ovarian histopathological damages characterized by granulosa cells disorganization, follicle atresia and interstitial cell degeneration. Meanwhile, the concentration of estradiol (E2) was significantly decreased and mRNA levels of genes involved with ovarian steroidogenesis were significantly down-regulated by high concentration Pb. In addition, Pb exposure caused increasing cell apoptosis and significant changes of the expression of genes involved with cell death in the ovary. High dose Pb exposure also inhibited thyroid hormone release and disrupted ovarian thyroid deiodination apart from causing thyroid histopathological injury such as follicular deformation and atrophy. The study indicated that Pb might cause ovarian malfunction by inducing ovary and thyroid microstructural damages, thyroid hormone and estrogen release inhibition and ovarian steroidogenesis disruption.

Parâmetros ósseos de codornas de corte suplementadas com diferentes níveis de vitamina A, de 15 a 35 dias de idade / [Parameters of bone of meat-type quail supplemented with different levels of vitamin A from 15 to 35 days of age]

Avaliou-se o efeito da utilização de níveis crescentes de vitamina A sobre os parâmetros ósseos de codornas de corte de 15 a 35 dias de idade. Foram utilizadas 1520 codornas, não sexadas, com peso médio inicial de 85±4,25g, distribuídas em um delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, totalizando oito tratamentos com cinco repetições e 38 codornas por unidade experimental. Os tratamentos consistiram de oito níveis de suplementação de vitamina A (0; 4.500; 6.000; 7.500; 9.000; 10.500; 12.000 e 13.500UI/kg da dieta). O período experimental foi de 15 a 35 dias de idade. Os ossos analisados apresentaram uma redução linear para o índice de Seedor, resistência óssea e teor de cinzas do fêmur e da tíbia de acordo com os níveis de suplementação de vitamina A. A suplementação de vitamina A para codornas de corte de 15 a 35 dias de idade mostrou resultados negativos para a qualidade óssea, com a necessidade de mais estudos sobre seu antagonismo com a vitamina D.(AU)

This study evaluated the effect of using increasing levels of vitamin A on bone parameters in meat-type quails from 15 to 35 days old. A total of 1520 unsexed quail with an average initial weight of 85g distributed in a completely randomized design, totaling eight treatments with five replicates and 38 quails per experimental unit were used. The treatments consisted of eight vitamin supplementation levels A (0; 4,500; 6,000; 7,500; 9,000; 10,500; 12,000 and 13,500IU / kg diet). The experimental period was 15 to 35 days of age. The bones analyzed showed a linear reduction to the Seedor index, bone strength and ash content of the femur and tibia according to vitamin supplementation levels Vitamin A supplementation for cutting quails from 15 to 35 days of age showed negative results for bone quality, with the need for more studies on its antagonism to vitamin D.(AU)

Research Note: Association of temporal expression of myostatin with hypertrophic muscle growth in different Japanese quail lines.

Myostatin (MSTN) negatively regulates in muscle growth and development. Among alternative splicing isoforms of avian MSTN, MSTN-A has antimyogenic activities and MSTN-B functions as a promyogenic factor. In this study, different lines of Japanese quail were used: a random bred control (RBC) and a heavy weight (HW) quail line with muscle hypertrophy. The objectives of the current study are to compare temporal expression of the MSTN isoforms in pectoralis major muscle (PM) between 2 quail lines and to relate MSTN expression with temporal changes in muscle growth and total amounts of DNA in PM. Gains of body weight (BW) and PM weight were greater until posthatch day (D) 28 (P < 0.001), and the fold increases in total DNA contents of PM were greater in the HW line compared with the RBC line during D7 to D28 (P < 0.05). PCR analysis showed that MSTN-A expression was greater at 14 D (E14) of embryonic age (P < 0.01), D7 (P = 0.052), and D14 (P < 0.01) in the RBC line compared with the HW line. At D28 and D75, expression of MSTN-A was greater in the HW line compared with the RBC line (P < 0.05). MSTN-B expression was barely detectable from E14 to D14 and measurable from D28 to D75 in the muscle of both lines. Ratios of the MSTN-B/-A form ranging from 0.15 to 0.29 indicate a minor expression of the B form. Taken together, the lesser expression levels of MSTN-A at E14, D7, and D14 are associated with the fast growth of PM, and greater MSTN-A expression at D28 and D75 are associated with a slowdown of PM growth in the HW line. These data indicate a negative association of MSTN expression with PM growth and provide a scientific basis for potential usage of MSTN expression as a selection marker for greater muscle growth in poultry.

Transgenesis and web resources in quail.

Due to its amenability to manipulations, to live observation and its striking similarities to mammals, the chicken embryo has been one of the major animal models in biomedical research. Although it is technically possible to genome-edit the chicken, its long generation time (6 months to sexual maturity) makes it an impractical lab model and has prevented it widespread use in research. The Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) is an attractive alternative, very similar to the chicken, but with the decisive asset of a much shorter generation time (1.5 months). In recent years, transgenic quail lines have been described. Most of them were generated using replication-deficient lentiviruses, a technique that presents diverse limitations. Here, we introduce a novel technology to perform transgenesis in quail, based on the in vivo transfection of plasmids in circulating Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs). This technique is simple, efficient and allows using the infinite variety of genome engineering approaches developed in other models. Furthermore, we present a website centralizing quail genomic and technological information to facilitate the design of genome-editing strategies, showcase the past and future transgenic quail lines and foster collaborative work within the avian community.

Influence of a 1000 Times Weakened Magnetic Field on Embryogenesis and Ontogenesis of the Japanese Quail in Several Generations.

The paper presents experimental data on the influence of a 1000-fold weakening of the Earth's magnetic field on the embryonic and postembryonic development of the Japanese quail in three generations. It has been shown that the weakening of the earth's magnetic field by a factor of 1000 affects the formation of blood vessels in Japanese quail embryos, in particular, causing a decrease in angiogenesis in seven-day-old embryos of both the first generation (F1) and the next two ones (F2 and F3). Pathological and anatomical studies of embryos of different ages in three generations have revealed various pathologies associated with vascular system disorders, as well as disorders in the development of the beak and eyes. In the ontogenesis of F3 quails, there is a decrease in the hatchability of chicks.

Lippia gracilis Schauer essential oil as a growth promoter for Japanese quail.

The use of antibiotics as performance enhancers in animal feeding is declining, so Lippia gracilis Schauer essential oil (LGSEO) could be used as a potential substitute for the conventionally used growth promoters. The LGSEO contains components such as carvacrol and thymol, which kill and/or control pathogenic bacteria, increase population of beneficial organisms, act against oxidative processes and onto nutrient digestibility and absorption. The aim of this study was to investigate the action and the effects of LGSEO as a growth promoter in the diet of Japanese quail by examining their productive performance, intestinal microbiology, blood biochemical parameters, hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content and intestinal gene expression. A total of 252 two-day-old quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were assigned to 3 treatments in 7 replicates, using 12 birds per experimental unit. The treatments consisted of a basal diet, basal diet + LGSEO at 400 mg/kg of diet and basal diet + chemical antimicrobial (bacitracin methylene disalicylate) at 500 mg/kg of diet. The experimental period was 34 days. The highest feed intake (P < 0.01) was found in the group receiving the conventional antimicrobial, whereas the best feed conversion (P < 0.01) was shown by the animals receiving LGSEO. Escherichia coli growth was restricted in the quail receiving the growth promoters. Salmonella spp. growth was controlled by the treatment containing the conventional antimicrobial. There was no difference between the treatments (P > 0.05) for the concentration of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase enzymes in the blood or hepatic TBARS content. Birds receiving negative-control treatment exhibited a higher expression of sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT1), while those receiving the treatment with essential oil showed lower catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX7) expressions compared to the conventional antimicrobial and control groups, respectively. Lippia gracilis Schauer essential oil is a powerful performance enhancer for Japanese quail by virtue of its abilities to improve their intestinal environment, balance the microbial population and reduce energy expenditure for oxidative processes.

Effects of parental exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides on embryonic development and oxidative status: a long-term experiment in a bird model.

Controversial glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) are the most frequently used herbicides globally. GBH residues are detected in soil, water, crops, and food products, potentially exposing non-target organisms to health risks; these organisms include wildlife, livestock, and humans. However, the potential for GBH-related parental effects are poorly understood. In the case of birds, GBHs may be transferred directly from mothers to eggs, or they may indirectly influence offspring performance by altered maternal resource allocation to eggs. We experimentally exposed a parental generation of Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) to GBHs (200 mg/kg feed) or respective controls. Glyphosate residues were found in eggs (ca 0.76 kg/mg). Embryonic development tended to be poorer in the eggs of GBH-exposed parents (76% of eggs showed normal development) compared to control parents (89% normal eggs). Embryonic brain tissue from GBH-exposed parents tended to express more lipid damage (20% higher), yet other biomarkers showed no apparent differences. We detected no differences in egg quality (egg, yolk, or shell mass, egg hormone concentration) across the treatment groups. Given this is the first long-term study testing parental effects of GBHs with birds, more studies are needed characterizing GBH-associated changes in maternal allocation and for example epigenetic programming.

Prediction and optimization of slaughter weight in meat-type quails using artificial neural network modeling.

Carcass yield of meat-type quails is strongly correlated with the weight of the birds at slaughter (slaughter weight [SW]; body weight at 45 D of age). Moreover, prediction of superior animals for SW at the earlier stages of the rearing period is favorable for producers. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to predict and optimize SW of Japanese quails based on their early growth performances, sex, and egg weight as predictors through artificial neural network (ANN) modeling. To construct the ANN model a feed-forward multilayer perceptron neural network structure was used. Moreover, sensitivity analysis was used to arrange the predictors in the ANN model(s) according to their predictive importance too. In addition, the optimization process was conducted to determine the optimum values for the input variables to yield maximum SW. The best-fitted network on input data to predict SW in Japanese quails was determined with 7 neurons in the input layer, 11 neurons in the hidden layer, and one neuron in the output layer. The coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.9404, 0.9359, and 0.9223 for training, validation, and testing phases, respectively. For the corresponding phases, SEM were also 51.8854, 52.2764, and 55.2572, respectively. According to sensitivity analysis, the most important input variable for prediction of SW was body weight at 20 D of age (BW20), whereas the less important input variables were weight of the birds at hatch and body weight at 5 D of age. The results of the neural network optimization indicated that all the input variables, except for BW20, were very similar but slightly higher than mean values (µ for each input variable). The results of this study suggest that the ANN provides a practical approach to predict the final body weight (SW) of Japanese quails based on early performances. Moreover, phenotypic selection for higher values of early growth traits did not ensure the achievement of maximum SW, except for BW20.

Supplementation of various zinc sources modify sexual development and testicular IGF family gene expression in pre-pubertal male Japanese quail.

Zinc plays an important role in the regulation of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). IGF system, in turn, has a key role in the development and functions of the reproductive organs. This research was performed to investigate the effects of different sources of zinc on IGF-I gene expression and testicular development in pre-pubertal male Japanese quail. A total of 512 unsexed day-old Japanese quail chicks were randomly divided into 16 groups (4 dietary treatments × 4 replicates) and kept for 35 days. The control group diet was not supplemented with zinc whereas the diets of three groups were supplemented with 25 mg kg-1 zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnON), and zinc-methionine (Zn-Met). On days 28 and 35, one birds from each subgroup were weighed, bled, and euthanized to evaluate gonado-somatic index (GSI), testicular histology, serum testosterone concentration, cloacal gland index (CGI), and the testicular IGF family gene expression. The results showed that GSI was higher in ZnON (2.307) than control (1.619) on day 35 (P < .05). Germinal epithelium thickness was higher in ZnON (78.88 µm) and Zn-Met (79.73 µm) than control (67.73 µm) on day 35 (P < .05). On day 35, the testosterone concentration was lowest in the control (5.830 ng/ml, P < .05). The CGI of 35-day-old birds was higher in Zn-Met (411.28) than the control (307.59, P < .05). IGF-IR mRNA expression was highest in Zn-Met group on day 28. Therefore, supplementation of diet with Zn-methionine is superior to other sources of zinc for diet supplementation in immature Japanese quail.

Effect of dietary supplementation of whey powder and Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, gut and hepatic function, and muscle antioxidant capacity of Japanese quail.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of whey powder (WP), Bacillus subtilis (BAS), and their combination (MIX) on growth performance, intestinal morphology, caecal microflora, hepatic gene expression, blood metabolites, and skeletal muscle antioxidant capacity in Japanese quails. A total of 400 one-day-old Japanese quails were randomly distributed to 20-floor pens (4 dietary treatments, 5 replications per treatment, 20 birds per pen). The birds were fed a basal diet (control, CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 40 g/kg WP, 1 g/kg BAS probiotic or 40 g/kg WP plus 1 g/kg BAS probiotic for five weeks. Feed intake was not affected by the treatments at any stage of the trial. However, the WP, BAS, and MIX feed had better weight gain and feed conversion ratio compared to the CON during the entire production period (day 1-35; p < .05). Feeding the WP, BAS, and MIX diets caused no significant difference in morphometric measures in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum other than the villus height to crypt depth ratio in the ileum (p < .05). The expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and growth hormone genes was highly upregulated in the liver of the birds fed the MIX diet (p < .05). Feeding birds with the diets containing WP, BAS, and MIX increased the population of caecal lactic acid bacteria and reduced serum cholesterol concentration compared to the CON diet (p < .05). Likewise, the tested feed additives increased superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase enzyme activities in the thigh muscle (p < .05). No synergistic effect was found between WP and BAS in studied parameters other than IGF-1 gene expression. Improved growth performance of Japanese quails by feeding the WP, BAS, and the MIX feed could be linked to improved absorptive capacity of the small intestine as well as over-expression of anabolic growth factors. In conclusion, WP with or without BAS could be considered as a beneficial dietary supplement to enhance productive performance, gut functionality, and antioxidant capacity of Japanese quail.