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.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether adding Maca powder to the diets of young and old laying quails could mitigate the negative effects of aging on egg quality, serum parameters, and histomorphology.
Results Summary
Adding 1 g/kg Maca powder improved age-related declines in eggshell quality, ileum histomorphology, and bone traits, while 2 g/kg reduced serum total cholesterol levels. Aging negatively affected egg weight, feed intake, and hormone levels, but Maca supplementation showed beneficial effects without impacting performance.
Population
150 laying Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) aged 10 and 30 weeks.
Effective Dosage
0, 1, or 2 g/kg of diet.
Duration
10 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
aging | decrease | eggshell quality, total cholesterol, triglyceride, progesterone, and testosterone concentrations of serum | old quail | - | were lower | #1 |
aging | increase | egg weight, feed intake, and follicle-stimulating hormone | quail | - | increased significantly | #2 |
aging | decrease | histomorphology of the ileum and cortical bone thickness | - | - | negatively affected | #3 |
adding 1 g/kg Maca powder to the diet | increase | eggshell, ileum, and bone traits that deteriorate with age | quail | - | significantly improved | #4 |
adding 1 g/kg Maca powder to the diet | no change | performance | quail | - | without affecting | #5 |
adding 2 g/kg Maca powder to the diet | decrease | serum total cholesterol levels | quail | - | significantly reduced | #6 |
Incorporating Maca powder into the diet | decrease | negative effects of aging | aged birds | - | could reduce | #7 |
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.