Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Fisheries, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran. E-mail: m.mahmoudinejad@stu.sanru.ac.ir
2 Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Fisheries, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran. E-mail: b.shohreh@sanru.ac.ir
3 Corresponding Author, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Fisheries, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran. E-mail: z.ansari@sanru.ac.ir
4 Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Fisheries, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran. E-mail: s.yousefi@sanru.ac.ir
Abstract
Objective: The use of probiotics and medicinal plants as growth promoters and alternatives to antibiotics in the diet of broiler chickens leads to the prevention of the the growth of harmful intestinal bacteria, including coliforms, increased resistance to pathogens, promotes the synthesis of antioxidants and antibacterials, stimulates local immunity, and improves immune system function. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of adding sea galangal (Alpinia officinarum) powder and probiotics on growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood cell population, caecal bacterial population, and ileum tissue morphology of Japanese quail under heat stress conditions
Materials and Methods: The experiment was conducted using 480 quail chicks in a completely randomized design with 24 experimental units, six treatments, and four replications. Experimental treatments included: 1- Control (basal diet without galangal powder or probiotics); 2- Basal diet with 50 mg of galangal powder; 3- Basal diet with 100 mg of galangal powder; 4- Basal diet with 50 mg of galangal powder+ 0.2 g/kg lactofeed probiotic; 5- Basal diet with 100 mg of galangal powder+ 0.2 g/kg lactofeed probiotic; 6- Basal diet with 0.2 g/kg lactofeed probiotic only. Performance traits (weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio) of quail chicks were evaluated at 10, 20, and 35 days of age and over the whole period. Carcass characteristics, blood cells, caecal bacterial populations, and ileum tissue morphology were also assessed.
Results: The use of galangal powder and probiotics significantly improved feed intake and feed conversion ratio under heat stress conditions. Carcass yield was higher in quail that received galangal powder + probiotics (P<0.05). The heterophil level and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lymphocytes count in quail fed diets containing galangal powder and probiotics were lower than in the control group under heat stress conditions (P<0.05). The population of lactic acid bacteria in the cecum of birds fed diets containing galangal powder and probiotics was higher than in other treatments (P<0.05). Under heat stress conditions, the total bacterial population and the population of cecum coliforms were higher in the control treatment than in other experimental groups. Villus height, crypt thickness, and the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio in the ileum tissue were higher in birds fed 50 mg of galangal powder+ 0.2 g/kg probiotic than in the control treatment under heat stress conditions (P<0.05); while the highest crypt depth was observed in birds fed the control treatment. The parameters of crypt diameter, inner and outer muscle layer thickness of ileum tissue were not affected by any of the experimental treatments under heat stress conditions.
Conclusions: In conclusion, adding 50 mg of sea galangal powder + 0.2 g/kg lactofeed probiotics to the basal diet under heat stress conditions significantly improved carcass yield, caecal bacterial population, blood cell counts, and ileum tissue morphology of Japanese quail.
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