Response of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) to dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera essential oil under heat stress condition

• Published in: Italian journal of animal science 2020-12, Vol.19 (1), p.514-523
• Main Authors: Tekce, Emre, Bayraktar, Bülent, Aksakal, Vecihi, Dertli, Enes, Kamiloğlu, Aybike, Çinar Topcu, Kübra, Takma, Çiğdem, Gül, Mehmet, Kaya, Hacer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coturnix coturnix japonica; Essential oils; Feed efficiency; Heat stress; Intestine; Meat; meat colour; Meat quality; Moringa oleifera; Oils & fats; performance parameters; Poultry; Thermal stress
• ISSN: 1828-051X; 1594-4077; 1828-051X
• DOI: 10.1080/1828051X.2020.1760740

The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of the dietary use of different doses of Moringa oleifera essential oil (MOEO) on performance parameters, internal organ weights and meat quality in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) exposed to Heat Stress (HS). For this purpose, 320 male day-old quail chicks were used. Seven days of preliminary (physical exercise) and a 35-day fattening period were applied. The animals were divided into 8 groups, each including 40 animals according to temparature (C: 25 °C and SC: 37 °C) and dietary doses (C, 200, 400 and 600). Each group was divided into 4 subgroups, each comprising 10 animals. The consequences of this study showed that, in the stress-free (HSF) groups, while all of the different doses of dietary MOEO positively affected growth performance, feed intake and feed efficiency, in the HS groups, similar positive effects were observed with the use of 200 ppm of dietary MOEO. While no effect was detected on internal organ weights on Days 21 and 42 in the HSF and HS groups, a dose-dependent increase was determined in the intestinal pH value on day 42 in the HS group (p