Dietary Palmitic and Linoleic Acids and Reproduction of Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of two diets containing 3% of either palmitic acid (Diet P) or linoleic acid (Diet L) on the sensitivity of the reproductive performance, fatty acid composition of plasma and yolk lipids, and total plasma phosphorus of Japanese quail. A 9-wk production period was divided into three phases of 3 wk each: 1) 7 to 10 wk, 2) 10 to 13 wk, and 3) 13 to 16 wk of age. Eighty male plus female pairs of quail were used. The response to dietary treatments appeared not to be influenced by diet fed in the preceding phase. When data were pooled by diet fed in each phase, feed consumption in Phases 2 and 3 was higher (P<.05) in birds fed Diet P than those fed Diet L. In Phase 2, egg production was higher (P<.05) in the groups fed Diet P than those fed Diet L. In Phase 3, birds fed Diet P exhibited lower embryonic mortality and higher hatchability (P<.05) than those fed Diet L. Fatty acid compositions of plasma and egg yolk lipids from birds fed Diet L had higher (P<.05) levels of linoleic acid than those fed Diet P. In contrast, those fed Diet P did not show higher levels of palmitic acid in their plasma or yolk lipids. Instead, they exhibited higher (P<.05) levels of palmitoleic and oleic acids. These results indicate that Diet P, which had only .8% linoleic acid, appeared to be sufficient for overall reproductive performance, suggesting that this level satisfied the requirement of linoleic acid or that oleic acid apparently derived from palmitic acid is sparing the function of linoleic acid for normal reproduction.