Ali Reza Ghiasvand; Hassan Shirzadi; Hossein Ali Ghasemi; Kamran Taherpour; Shokoufeh Hasanvand; Ali Khatibjoo
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the optimal arginine level in the diet of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) and evaluate its effects on growth performance, feed efficiency, and carcass yield using broken-line and quadratic regression models.
Method: For this purpose, a total ...
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Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the optimal arginine level in the diet of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) and evaluate its effects on growth performance, feed efficiency, and carcass yield using broken-line and quadratic regression models.
Method: For this purpose, a total of 600 twenty-one-day-old Japanese quail chicks were divided into five different treatments with digestible arginine levels of 0.75%, 1.00%, 1.25%, 1.50%, and 1.75%. Six replicates were used for each treatment, with 20 quails per replicate. The experimental diets were similar in all essential nutrients except for arginine. The experiment was conducted from day 21 to day 35, and during the experimental period, various performance parameters, including body weight gain, feed efficiency, and carcass yield, were measured. Additionally, the effects of different arginine levels on the chemical composition of breast and thigh meat were evaluated.
Results: The results indicated that increasing arginine levels had a significant impact on body weight gain and feed efficiency in the quails (P<0.05). Specifically, the 1.25% arginine treatment showed the greatest body weight gain and feed efficiency compared to the other treatments (P<0.05). This treatment showed a significant difference compared to the 0.75% and 1.00% treatments (P<0.05), with no significant difference compared to the 1.50% arginine treatment. No significant changes in feed intake were observed (P>0.05), indicating that greater arginine levels improved feed utilization efficiency due to increased body weight gain. To estimate the arginine requirement, both broken-line linear and quadratic regression models were employed. The broken-line linear model with a single slope identified breakpoints at 1.15% for body weight gain and 1.21% for feed efficiency. Additionally, the quadratic broken-line model predicted breakpoints at 1.30% for body weight gain and 1.29% for feed efficiency. The quadratic regression model showed that at 1.37% arginine, the greatest body weight gain was observed, and at 1.36%, the greatest feed efficiency was recorded. For carcass yield, the 1.25% arginine treatment showed the greatest carcass yield on day 35, with a significant difference compared to the 0.75% and 1.75% treatments. Both broken-line and quadratic regression models indicated that the optimal arginine level for the greatest carcass yield was approximately 1.12% and 1.26%, respectively. Additionally, the quadratic regression model predicted that the optimal level for carcass yield was 1.32% arginine. However, the chemical composition of breast and thigh meat was not affected by the arginine levels, and no significant changes in dry matter, organic matter, and ash content were observed.
Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that the use of broken-line linear and quadratic regression models are effective tools for accurately estimating the arginine requirement in the diet of Japanese quails. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the optimal arginine level for improving growth performance and carcass yield in Japanese quails was set between 1.15% and 1.37%. These findings can contribute to optimizing dietary formulations in the quail farming industry, improving production efficiency, and reducing feed costs.
Maryam Karimi- Zandi; Hassan Shirzadi; Ghasemi, Hossein Ali; Mohammad Amir Karimi-Torshizi; Kamran Taherpour; Enayat Rahmatnejad
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a toxin binder and organic acids on growth performance, serum lipid profile, health indices, carcass traits, and meat quality of broiler chickens challenged with aflatoxin B1 and Clostridium perfringens.
Methods: A total of 420 one-day-old ...
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Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a toxin binder and organic acids on growth performance, serum lipid profile, health indices, carcass traits, and meat quality of broiler chickens challenged with aflatoxin B1 and Clostridium perfringens.
Methods: A total of 420 one-day-old as hatched Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 7 treatment groups, each with 6 replicates of 10 birds. The treatments were as follows: Control – basal diet without additives or challenges; A – basal diet, challenged with aflatoxin; AM – basal diet with toxin binder, challenged with aflatoxin; AMO – basal diet with toxin binder and organic acids, challenged with aflatoxin; ACP – basal diet, challenged with aflatoxin and C. perfringens; ACPM – basal diet with toxin binder, challenged with aflatoxin and C. perfringens; and ACPMO – basal diet with toxin binder and organic acids, challenged with aflatoxin and C. perfringens. Aflatoxin B1 (500 ppb) was administered throughout the trial, and C. perfringens (1×108 cfu/mL) was introduced on day 15 for ten consecutive days. Both the toxin binder and organic acids were added at 0.2% of the basal diet.
Results: Inclusion of a toxin binder, either alone or in combination with organic acids, alleviated these negative effects of aflatoxin challenge (P<0.05), and the combined challenge with aflatoxin and C. perfringens further decreased energy and protein efficiency ratios as well as specific growth rate (P<0.05). The toxin binder alone improved specific growth rate, and its combination with organic acids enhanced energy and protein efficiency ratios. The combined challenge increased serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level (P<0.05). The inclusion of toxin binder lowered these values, and its effect was more pronounced when used in combination with organic acids. Inclusion of toxin binder also decreased the LDL to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, atherogenic coefficient, and cardiac risk ratio in aflatoxin- and C. perfringens -challenged birds (P<0.05). Supplementation with both toxin binders and organic acids elicited greater improvements in these physiological indices relative to the toxin binder alone. Aflatoxin and dual challenges increased cooking loss in the pectoralis major muscle and reduced press loss and dry matter content in both pectoralis major and thigh muscles (P<0.05). Aflatoxin exposure alone increased the relative weight of the heart (P<0.05), and the combined challenge reduced breast weight and increased heart and liver weights (P<0.05). The combined use of toxin binders and organic acids elicited the most pronounced improvements in these traits compared to the toxin binder alone.
Conclusion: When feed is contaminated with aflatoxin, the addition of a toxin binder to broiler diets is a beneficial strategy. In the presence of a concurrent C. perfringens infection, use of a toxin binder plus organic acids provides superior protection and performance benefits.