• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.1452-1462
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with Agaricus blazei polysaccharide (ABP) at varying concentrations on the performance, egg quality, blood biochemistry, intestinal morphology, and microflora of quail. Methods: The study involved a total of 2,700 Korean quails, which were randomly divided into three groups. The measured variables encompassed productive performance, egg parameters, carcass parameters, serum metabolites, immune response parameters, antioxidative properties, and gut microbiome. Results: The addition of ABP did not have a significant effect on average daily feed intake. However, it was found to increase the average daily egg weight and egg production rate, reduce the feed-egg ratio. There were no significant impacts on egg quality measures such as egg shape index, egg yolk index and color, egg yolk and protein content. However, ABP supplementation significantly increased the Hough unit (p<0.01) and decreased the rate of unqualified eggs (p<0.01). Regarding serum parameters, the inclusion led to an increase in total protein concentration (p<0.05) and a reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.05). There were no significant effects observed on immune indicators such as immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgM. ABP supplementation increased the levels of serum antioxidant indicators, including glutathione peroxidase, total superoxide dismutase (p<0.05), and total antioxidant capacity colorimeter (p<0.05). Furthermore, ABP supplementation significantly elevated the intramuscular fatty acid content in quail meat. Additionally, ABP supplementation demonstrated a significant improvement in the diversity of gut microbiota and induced alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that dietary supplementation of ABP enhanced production performance and antioxidant capacity while increasing the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in quail muscle.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.255-257
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• 2002

In birds, the photoperiodic seasonal breeding involves encephalic photoreception at the initial step of triggering the well-known endocrinal cascade. Especially in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnixjaponica), the reproductive neuroendocrine function responds to a single long day, and hypothalamic regions are known to be important for the reproductive response. However, little is known about where and how the light and time signals are integrated to detect daylength information and transduced to the endocrinal responses. To gain insights into this issue, we are interested in the c-Fos expression in the hypothalamus of the Japanese quail. Meddle and Follett (1997) previously identified two hypothalamic regions where c-Fos-like immunoreactivities were induced in response to a long day by using an antibody to carboxyl terminal region of human c-Fos (Lys$^{347}$ -Leu$^{367}$ ). In the present study, we used a different anti-c-Fos antibody recognizing a region from Lys$^{128}$ to Ala$^{152}$ of human c-Fos, and found in long-day- stimulated quails many c-Fos-like immunoreactive nuclei localizing within two regions, nucleus anterior medialis hypothalami and nucleus periventricularis hypothalami, which are distinct from those identified in the previous study. Then, we focused on the difference in the cross-reactivities of the antibodies used, and determined the whole coding sequence of quail c-Fos to compare the antigenic sequences of the two antibodies with the amino acid sequence of quail c-Fos. We found that the antibody we used would recognize quail c-Fos more specifically than that used in the previous study.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1696-1701
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• 2016

Japanese quail is still used as a model for poultry research because of their usefulness as laying, meat, and laboratory animals. Microsatellite markers are the most widely used molecular markers, due to their relative ease of scoring and high levels of polymorphism. The objective of the research was to determine genetic diversity and population genetic structures of selected Japanese quail lines (high body weight 1 [HBW1], HBW2, low body weight [LBW], and layer [L]) throughout 15th generations and an unselected control (C). A total of 69 individuals from five quail lines were genotyped by fifteen microsatellite markers. When analyzed profiles of the markers the observed ($H_o$) and expected ($H_e$) heterozygosity ranged from 0.04 (GUJ0027) to 0.64 (GUJ0087) and 0.21 (GUJ0027) to 0.84 (GUJ0037), respectively. Also, $H_o$ and $H_e$ were separated from 0.30 (L and LBW) to 0.33 (C and HBW2) and from 0.52 (HBW2) to 0.58 (L and LBW), respectively. The mean polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.46 (HBW2) to 0.52 (L). Approximately half of the markers were informative ($PIC{\geq}0.50$). Genetic distances were calculated from 0.09 (HBW1 and HBW2) to 0.33 (C and L). Phylogenetic dendrogram showed that the quail lines were clearly defined by the microsatellite markers used here. Bayesian model-based clustering supported the results from the phylogenetic tree. These results reflect that the set of studied markers can be used effectively to capture the magnitude of genetic variability in selected Japanese quail lines. Also, to identify markers and alleles which are specific to the divergence lines, further generations of selection are required.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1060-1068
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• 2011

The LDH isozymes are key catalysts in the glycolytic pathway of energy metabolism. It is well known that the distribution of the LDH isozymes vary in accordance with the metabolic requirements of different tissues. The substrates required for energy production change noticeably at successive stages of testes development suggesting a significant flexibility in the expression of glycolytic enzymes. Therefore, expression of LHDA and LDHB mRNAs was examined in adult and prepubertal quail testis. The mRNA of both LDHA and LDHB were expressed and no significant difference was observed in prepubertal testes. The mRNA levels of LDHB significantly increased during testicular development. In the adult testis, LDHA mRNA was not expressed. Expression studies revealed the presence of different LDH isozymes during testicular development. In contrast, electrophoresis of both testicular samples revealed only single band at a position indicative of an extreme type of LDH isozyme in quail testes. Furthermore, nucleotide and amino acid sequence analysis revealed significant similarity to chicken, duck and rock pigeon. These sequence results confirmed the similarity of LDHA and LDHB subunit protein in different avian species.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2007

Covariance components and genetic parameters of weekly live body weight from hatching to six weeks of age and age of sexual maturation were estimated in a laying type Japanese quail line. The univariate and bivariate animal model analysis included hatching group and sex as fixed effects. Each trait was analysed with animal as random effect to fit the additive direct effect. Additional random effects incorporated in the models were changed according to the trait examined. The best model for a trait was chosen based on a likelihood ratio test, comparing the models with and without maternal additive genetic and maternal permanent environmental effects. Heritability estimates of live-weight at hatch and one to six weeks of age with their standard errors were 0.22${\pm}$0.088, 0.39${\pm}$0.099, 0.31${\pm}$0.086, 0.38${\pm}$0.056, 0.46${\pm}$0.055, 0.50${\pm}$0.059, and 0.56${\pm}$0.062, respectively. Direct heritability value of age of sexual maturation was moderate (0.24${\pm}$0.055). The variances due to permanent environmental effect of dam after one week of age and maternal genetic effect after two weeks of age were not important sources of variation. The correlations between direct and maternal genetic effects were negative and ranged from high to moderate values (-0.21 to -0.83). Among the weekly live weights, genetic correlations were generally high between not only successive but also early and late weightings. It suggests that selection for final weight may be based on early weight records. Genetic correlations between age of sexual maturation and live weights were low, favourable but had high standard errors. These results indicate that selection for high weight will potentially result in lower age of sexual maturation only with accurate determination of breeding values.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.98-107
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• 2023

Objective: Current quail production is configured as an economic activity in scale. Advancements in quail nutrition have been limited to areas such as breeding and, automation of facilities and ambience. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance responses, liver and oviduct morphometry, and liver histology of Japanese laying quails subjected to different levels of nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (MEn). Methods: A completely random design was used that consisted of nine levels of MEn, six replicates, and five hens per cage with a total of 270 quails. The experimental period lasted for 10 weeks. The variables of performance were subjected to analysis of variance and then regression analysis using the broken-line model. The morphometric and histological variables were subjected to multivariate exploratory techniques. Results: The MEn levels influenced the responses to zootechnical performance. The broken-line model estimated the maximum responses for feed intake, egg production, egg weight, and egg mass as 3,040, 2,820, 1,802, and 2,960 kcal of MEn per kg of diet, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the occurrence of hepatic steatosis and increased levels of Kupffer cells were not related to MEn levels. Conclusion: The level of 2,960 kcal/kg of MEn meets performance variable requirements without compromising hepatic physiology.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.410-415
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• 2009

The weekly liveweight gain, growing and stress parameters of quails bred using two different types of lighting for 6 weeks following hatching were examined in this study. The first type of lighting was 23 L:1 D, continuous lighting (CL), widely used in the commercial system and the second was a self-photoperiod (SP) system consisting of a continuously lit chamber and a dark chamber the quails could move to as they wished. On the first 15 days, no difference was found in liveweight gain between the two breeding systems. On the $6^{th}$ week when the trial was completed, the liveweight of the male quails upon which CL lighting was used was 159.03 g while the weight of males in the SP group was 174.43 g; these values in female quails of the CL group were 179.15 g and in the SP group were 200.68 g. The CL group had lower testis volume (TVOM, $cm^{3}$) and testis weight (TW, g) than the SP group, however there was no difference between the groups in testis weight/body weight rate (BWTW %). In female quails, the ovary weight (OW, g) and the ovary weight/body weight rate (BWOW, %) values were higher in the SP group. The CL light regime was concluded to cause stress in male quails (CL, Heterophil/Lymphocyte ratio (H/L): 0.27; SP, H/L: 0.17). In conclusion; the SP system allowing the quails to regulate their light periods increased liveweight gain and enabled sexual maturity to be gained at an earlier period than in quail on the CL system and improved their welfare.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.385-398
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• 2022

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the influence of different dietary crude protein (CP) levels during the growth phase on reproductive characteristics and reproductive efficiency as well as the body development of adult male Japanese quail. Methods: Three hundred one-day-old male quails were distributed into five treatments with diets containing different CP levels (18%, 20%, 22%, 24%, and 26%) in a completely randomized design, with six replicates of ten birds each. The CP diets were applied only during the growth phase (1 to 35 days). At 36 days of age, the birds were transferred to 30 laying cages with three males and nine females each, and all birds received the same diet formulated to meet production-phase requirements until 96 days of age. Results: The growth rate of the birds increased linearly (p<0.01) with increasing dietary CP, but the age of maximum growth decreased (p<0.05). At growth maturity, all birds had the same body weight (p>0.05). At 35 days of age, higher weight gain was obtained (p<0.05) with diets containing 22% CP or higher. No effects on feed conversion were observed in this phase. The increase in dietary CP enhanced (p<0.01) nitrogen intake and nitrogen excretion but did not affect (p>0.05) nitrogen retention. Testis size, seminiferous tubular area, number of spermatogonia, and germinal epithelial height at 35 days of age increased linearly (p<0.05) with dietary CP, while the number of Leydig cells decreased (p<0.01). The Sertoli cell number at 60 days of age increased linearly (p<0.01) with dietary CP. Dietary CP levels did not affect cloacal gland size, foam weight, foam protein concentration, semen volume, or flock fertility at 90 days of age. Conclusion: Dietary CP concentration affected body and testicular development in male Japanese quails but did not affect reproductive efficiency.