Use of Maca Powder (Lepidium meyenii) as Feed Additive in Diets of Laying Quails at Different Ages: Its Effect on Performance, Eggshell Quality, Serum, Ileum, and Bone Properties

Abstract

Using additives can reduce the negative effects of aging on factors affecting profitability, such as the availability of nutrients, production, and egg quality. Maca is an herbaceous plant rich in protein, crude oil, essential acids, and pharmacological compounds. Maca has positive effects on different health parameters. In this study, the effect of adding Maca powder to the diets of young and old laying quails at the end of the 10-week trial was investigated. In total, 150 laying Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) (209.1 ± 10.0 g) were randomly distributed to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with two ages (10 weeks and 30 weeks) and three Maca powder levels (0, 1, or 2 g/kg), with five subgroups per treatment. According to the study, eggshell quality, total cholesterol, triglyceride, progesterone, and testosterone concentrations of serum were lower in old quail than in young quail, while egg weight, feed intake, and follicle-stimulating hormone increased significantly as quail aged. (p < 0.05). Furthermore, aging negatively affected the histomorphology of the ileum and cortical bone thickness (p < 0.05). Additional findings show that adding 1 g/kg Maca powder to the diet of quail significantly improved eggshell, ileum, and bone traits that deteriorate with age, without affecting performance, and adding 2 g/kg Maca powder to the diet significantly reduced serum total cholesterol levels (p < 0.05). Incorporating Maca powder into the diet of aged birds could reduce the negative effects of aging.

Performance, Egg Quality, and Yolk Antioxidant Capacity of the Laying Quail in Response to Dietary Choline Levels

“…Egg weight was determined by weighing one by one all of the eggs collected in the last three days of the experiment with a precision weighing balance (±0.01 g). From these data, egg mass was calculated as daily egg weight per quail according to the following Equation (1), as Gül et al [ 21 ] showed in their research. …”

Effect of Black Maca Supplementation on Inflammatory Markers and Physical Fitness in Male Elite Athletes

“…Additionally, muscle strength ( p < 0.01), muscle endurance ( p < 0.01), flexibility ( p < 0.01), power ( p < 0.001), and agility ( p < 0.001) were significantly increased in the FSA group after taking black maca supplementation for eight weeks. Earlier, the addition of arginine was mentioned as a component of black maca [ 31 ]. Arginine is an amino acid that has shown a vasodilator effect [ 32 ].…”

A novel source of calcium: effects of calcium pidolate concentration on egg quality in aged laying quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica)

“…From these data, egg mass was calculated as daily egg weight per quail (g) according to the equation proposed by Gül et al . (2022) (Eqn (1))…”

“…Eggshell quality has been a major economic concern to egg producers as it could reason for serious economic losses (Joshi et al ., 2019; Gül et al ., 2022). Eggshell has different functions such as protects against physical damage and pathogens coming from the external environment, and providing nutrients necessary for embryonic development, especially calcium.…”