Japanese quail performance, intestinal microflora, and molecularresponses to screened wheat and multienzyme diet

Abstract

IntroductionCorn, as a major portion of energy in poultry diets, has a high demand (57% to 70%) despite its higher prices. It could be replaced by screened wheat (SW) prepared after harvesting and processing of wheat in flour and macaroni factories. Better balance of proteins and amino acids in SW than in cereals has made it a good alternative to corn. However, there is large variation in the chemical composition of SW due to differences in sources of wheat (e.g., soft vs. hard (1)) and in processing techniques (2). Diet composition has a crucial effect on the microbial community and its activity in the bird's intestinal tract. SW contains nonstarch polysaccharides (NSPs) that modify gut microflora and speed up fermentation in the small intestine, and thus significantly impede the intake of nutrients (3).The intestine has an inherent ability to create and maintain regional differences with regard to mucosal structure, and especially villus height. These differences are noticeable in mammals and have been observed in poultry (4). Moreover, the morphology of the mucosa in different segments of the small intestine undergoes considerable changes with aging, thereby increasing the efficiency of the intestinal functions (5). Wu et al. ( 6) reported a similar effect of microbial enzymes on intestinal morphometry with cereal-based diets. Inclusion of cereals rich in NSP increases the viscosity of the digesta, reduces apparent nutrient digestibility (7), and alters bacterial profiles and gut physiology status. Birds do not produce enzymes capable of degrading NSP. Therefore, the lack of enzymatic capacity might be compensated for by supplementation of the diet with exogenous enzymes.Little information is available on quail performance addressing the morphological and microbial development and the protein synthesis in the small intestine in response to inclusion of SW and a multienzyme diet. Materials and methods Birds, housing, and dietsThis study was conducted at the Quail Research Farm, Department of Poultry, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University. All experimental procedures were carried out according to the local experimental animal care committee and were approved by the institutional ethics committee. A total of 480 unsexed 10-day-old quail chicks were randomly assigned to 8 treatments with the same average body weight. Treatments included 4 replicates with 15 quail chicks in each. Completely randomized designs in a

Intestinal morphology and mucin composition in Japanese quails fed on olive cake

“…In the present study, it was determined that, depending on the ratio of olive pulp added to the rations, significant increases occurred in villus height in duodenum, jejunum, and ileum tissues of the animals in the experimental groups (Table 2, P <0.05). Saki et al (2017) reported that another property that influences the absorptive level in the intestines is the width of the villi. In the present study, it was determined that depending on the ratios of olive pulp added to the rations, significant increases in villus width in duodenal and ileal tissues were observed in the birds in the groups (Table 2, P <0.05).…”

Diets containing phytobiotics, l‐arginine, vitamin E and captopril modulate ascites syndrome‐related genes expression in broiler chickens exposed to low ambient temperature

“…Moreover, administrating arginine as in ovo has been shown to improve jejunal digestive and absorptive activities in neonatal turkey poults (Foye et al., 2007 ). Indeed, alterations in gut histomorphology can be linked to changes in the composition of the gut microbial (Saki et al., 2017 ), suggesting that the enhancement of mucosal architecture may be related to the antimicrobial activity of arginine. NO, produced as a result of the oxidation of arginine (Chen et al., 2022 ), is a potent antimicrobial molecule (Cela et al., 2023 ; Qi et al., 2023 ).…”

Effect of essential oil supplementation to diet on meat quality, fatty acid composition, performance parameters and intestinal microbiota of Japanese quails

“…Additionally, Sultan, Ullah, Khan, and Khan (2014) also reported a negative correlation between bacterial abundance and crypt depth, indicating a possible performance effect, which is supported by the positive correlation between short villus height and food absorption surface area of small intestine (Saki et al, 2017).…”