Impact of dietary calcium tetraborate supplementation on the mineral content of egg and eggshell of laying quails

Boron (B) is a trace element that plays an important role in the mineral, cell membrane, hormone, and enzyme metabolism of animals and humans. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of dietary calcium tetraborate (CaB4O7) supplementation on the mineral composition of egg content and eggshell of laying quails. For this purpose, a total of 20 male and 40 female quails, 6-week-old, were equally divided into 2 groups (control and additive groups) in 5 replicates (6 birds/replicate) and given CaB4O7 300 mg/kg feed in additive group. The experiment was conducted for 56 days. The eggs were collected and the mineral composition [B, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), iron (Fe), potassium (K), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn)] of egg content and eggshell samples were determined at the end of the experiment in randomly collected 6 eggs per group. Results of this study indicated dietary supplementation of CaB4O7 increased Mg (P<0.01), Na (P<0.01), and K (P<0.05) contents of edible parts of eggs compared to the control group, but B concentration were not determined in edible parts of eggs in both groups. Moreover, B (P<0.01), Mg (P<0.01), Na (P<0.01), Fe (P<0.01), K (P<0.05), Cu (P<0.05) and Zn (P<0.01) of eggshell were higher in the additive group than control. There were also significant correlations between examined minerals both edible and eggshell parts of the eggs. It may be concluded that supplementing diets with CaB4O7 could improve Ca metabolism, producing eggs enriched in minerals, promoting B, Mg, Na, Fe, K, Cu, and Zn deposition in eggshells, and improving eggshells quality. The effective B supplementation doses for functional egg production could be determined and B could be advantageous in terms of beneficial physiological effects

Nutrient composition of egg, hatchability and nutrition of embryo Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) with different plumage colors

Bu araştırma gri ve sarı tüy rengine sahip Japon bıldırcını gruplarında bazı yumurta kalite özellikleri, besin kompozisyonu, kuluçka özellikleri ve embriyonun beslenmesini incelemek amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Bu amaç için her çalışma grubundan 240 adet olacak şekilde toplam 480 adet yumurta kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada her iki grupta ağırlıkları eşitlenerek değerlendirilmeye alınan taze yumurtaların ak, sarı ve kabuk ağlıkları ile oranları benzer bulunmuştur (P>0.05). Yumurtanın besin özelliklerinden kuru madde, kül, ham protein ve ham yağ değerlerinde gruplar arasında istatistiki farklılık saptanmamıştır (P>0.05). Kuluçkanın 15. gününde incelenen yumurta gruplarında ağırlık kaybı, embriyo ağırlığı, sarı kesesi ağırlığı, kabuk ağırlığı, kabukta ham kül değeri, sarı kesesi kuru madde, ham protein, ham yağ, ham kül değerine ait ortalamalarda gruplar birbirine benzer olduğu tespit edilmiştir (P>0.05). On beş günlük kuluçka süresince embriyo yumurta akının tamamını kullanmış, kabuk ham kül oranı %1.42, sarı kesesi ham kül oranı %10.42 azalmıştır. Embriyo yumurta sarı ham proteininin %38.87’sini, yağın %8.71’ini kullanmıştır. Kuluçka özelliklerinden döllülük oranı, kuluçka randımanı, çıkım gücü ve toplam embriyo ölüm oranı bakımından gruplar benzerdir (P>0.05). Yumurtanın civcive dönüşüm oranında gri renkli grubun rakamsal üstünlüğü önemli bulunmamıştır (P=0.063). Sonuç olarak yumurta ve kuluçka özellikleri bakımından gri veya sarı tüylü Japon bıldırcınlarında gruplar benzerlik gösterdiği tespit edilmiştir.This study was conducted to investigate some quality traits, nutrient composition, hatchability, and nutrition of embryos in eggs of Japanese quails with gray and golden plumage colors. For this purpose, a total of 480 eggs, 240 eggs per experimental group were used. Weights or percentages of albumen, yolk and shell were found to be similar in fresh eggs which have equalized egg weight in two experimental groups of the research (P>0.05). There was no statistical difference in dry matter, ash, crude protein and crude fat values related to nutritional traits of eggs between the groups (P>0.05). Weight loss, embryo weight, yolk sac weight, shell weight, crude ash value of shell, yolk sac dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, crude ash values were found similar between two groups in evaluated eggs at the 15th day of hatching period (P>0.05). During the fifteenth day of incubation, albumen was consumed completely by embryos, crude ash value of shell and yolk sac were decreased 1.42% and 10.42%, respectively. The embryo consumed 38.87% of crude protein and 8.71% of crude fat of egg yolk. The fertility, hatchability, hatchability of fertile eggs and total embryonic mortality rate were similar between groups (P>0.05). Numerical superiority of gray group at conversion ratio of egg to chick was not significant (P=0.063). Consequently, Japanese quail groups have gray or golden plumage were similar in terms of egg and hatchability traits

Effects of dietary grape seed on performance and some metabolic assessments in Japanese quail with different plumage colors exposed to heat stress

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the effects of grape seed (GS) supplementation to basal diet on performance, carcass characteristics, some biochemical parameters, and antioxidant status of tissues of Japanese quail in growth phase with different plumage colors exposed to heat stress (HS). A total of 144 eight-day-old Japanese quail including 72 (36 females, 36 males) grey and 72 (36 females, 36 males) golden were used in this study. The quail were kept under HS (16 h at 34 °C, 8h at 22 °C) and thermo-neutral (24 h at 22°C) conditions between 15 and 43 days of age. All quail were fed a basal diet (control) and basal diet supplemented with GS at both 10 g/kg and 20 g/kg ratios. Each feeding treatment was repeated three times including four quail (two females and two males) per replicate. Heat stress considerably decreased the live weight gain on days 29-36, 36-43, and 15-43. Golden quail had higher live weight from the beginning of the trial. The increase of live weight on days 15-43 was higher in the golden group than in the grey group. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of liver and kidney tissues increased in heat-stress group compared with thermo-neutral group (P<0.001). In HS, significant increases were determined only in catalase (CAT) in the liver and in glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), CAT, and glutathione (GSH) in the kidney (P<0.05). Addition of dietary GS decreased MDA and antioxidant levels, which increased in liver and kidney of quail during HS. Plasma total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were higher in quail under HS. Plasma total cholesterol, glucose, triglyceride, AST, and ALT levels of quail under HS decreased due to addition of 10 g/kg GS

Turkish Propolis and Its Nano Form Can Ameliorate the Side Effects of Cisplatin, Which Is a Widely Used Drug in the Treatment of Cancer

This study was performed to determine the effects of chitosan-coated nano-propolis (NP), which is synthesized via a green sonochemical method, and propolis on the side effects of cisplatin (CP), which is a widely used drug in the treatment of cancer. For this aim, 56 rats were divided into seven groups, balancing their body weights (BW). The study was designed as Control, CP (3 mg/kg BW at single dose of CP as intraperitoneal, ip), Propolis (100 mg/kg BW per day of propolis by gavage), NP-10 (10 mg/kg BW of NP per day by gavage), CP + Propolis (3 mg/kg BW of CP and 100 mg/kg BW of propolis), CP + NP-10 (3 mg/kg CP and 10 mg/kg BW of NP), and CP + NP-30 (3 mg/kg BW of CP and 30 mg/kg BW of NP). Propolis and NP (especially NP-30) were preserved via biochemical parameters, oxidative stress, and activation of apoptotic pathways (anti-apoptotic protein: Bcl-2 and pro-apoptotic protein: Bax) in liver and kidney tissues in the toxicity induced by CP. The NP were more effective than propolis at a dose of 30 mg/kg BW and had the potential to ameliorate CP's negative effects while overcoming serious side effects such as liver and kidney damage

The in-vivo Assessment of Turkish Propolis and its Nano form on Testicular Damage Induced by Cisplatin

Chemotherapeutic drugs, such as cisplatin (CP), which are associated with oxidative stress and apoptosis, may adversely affect the reproductive system. This study tests whether administration of propolis and nano-propolis (NP) can alleviate oxidative stress and apoptosis in rats with testicular damage induced by CP. In this study, polymeric nanoparticles including propolis were synthesized with a green sonication method and characterized using Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and wet scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques. In total, 56 rats were divided into the following seven groups: control, CP, propolis, NP-10, CP + propolis, CP + NP-10, and CP + NP-30. Propolis (100 mg/kg), NP-10 (10 mg/kg), and NP-30 (30 mg/kg) treatments were administered by gavage daily for 21 d, and CP (3 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally in a single dose. After the experiment, oxidative stress parameters, namely, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT), and apoptotic pathways including B cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 protein (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) were measured in testicular tissues. Furthermore, sperm quality and weights of the testis, epididymis, right cauda epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate were evaluated. Propolis and NP (especially NP-30) were able to preserve oxidative balance (decreased MDA levels and increased GSH, CAT, and GPx activities) and activate apoptotic pathways (decreased Bax and increased Bcl-2) in the testes of CP-treated rats. Sperm motility in the control, CP, and CP + NP-30 groups were 60%, 48.75%, and 78%, respectively (P < 0.001). Especially, NP-30 application completely corrected the deterioration in sperm features induced by CP. The results show that propolis and NP treatments mitigated the side effects of CP on spermatogenic activity, antioxidant situation, and apoptosis in rats