Coenzyme Q10 in quail nutrition: effects on growth performance, meat quality, and myostatin gene expression

Abstract

• Diets without supplemental vitamin E did not impair growth performance of quail. • Supplementation of coenzyme Q10 to basal diet improved growth of broiler quail. • Supplementation of the basal diet with coenzyme Q10 improved meat quality traits. • Expression of myostatin mRNA decreased in quail received 210 mg coenzyme Q10/kg feed. The present experiment was conducted to investigate effects of dietary coenzyme Q10 (CQ10) supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, immune responses, and myostatin gene expression in broiler quail. A total of 605 one d-old Japanese broiler quail ( Coturnix japonica ) were randomly allotted to 11 dietary treatments with 5 replicates pens of 11 chicks each in a completely randomized design during a 5-wk period. Experimental treatments consisted of a control (CTL) diet: basal corn-soybean meal diet supplemented with vitamin E in the vitamin premix as recommended by breeder manual; CTL diet without vitamin E supplementation in the vitamin premix (CTL–), and CTL diet supplemented with 100 IU vitamin E in the vitamin premix (CTL+). The other dietary treatments included CTL diet supplemented with inclusion rates of 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, and 210 mg CQ10/kg. Although CTL– or CTL+ diets did not affect growth performance of broiler quail, supplementation of 105 or 210 mg CQ10/kg to CTL diet improved weight gain and feed conversion ratio so that quail possessed better growth performance ( P < 0.05). The breast muscle of quail fed diets supplemented with 30 to 210 mg CQ10/kg contained greater water holding capacity ( P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of 60 to 210 mg CQ10/kg increased meat pH compared to quail in the other experimental treatments except for those fed with dietary supplemental 45 mg CQ10/kg ( P < 0.05). Concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance and cooking loss of meat samples were lower in quail received diets supplemented with 45 to 210 mg CQ10/kg diet ( P < 0.05). Quail received dietary supplemental 105 to 210 mg CQ10/kg had lighter meat than those fed the CTL, CTL+, and CTL– diets ( P < 0.05). Red blood cell and white blood cell counts decreased after feeding quail with diets without supplementation of vitamin E in the premix ( P < 0.05) but improved through feeding quail with CTL, CTL+, and 15 to 90 mg supplemental CQ10/kg of diet ( P < 0.05). Antibody titer against sheep red blood cells increased in quail fed diets supplemented with 75 mg CQ10/kg ( P < 0.05). Myostatin gene expression was greater in quail received 100 IU vitamin E in their feed than quail in CTL– or COQ210 treatments ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation of CQ10 could increase growth performance of quail beyond what observed for vitamin E and also could replace vitamin E in terms of immune responses.