Effects of Antioxidants Vitamin E and C on ErythrocyteFragility, HaemoglobinIndex and Colonic Temperature of Transported Japanese Quails (Coturnixcoturnix japonica)

Ndazo Salka Minka

doi:10.4172/2157-7579.1000149

Abstract

The present study investigated the effects of antioxidants Vitamin E (VE) and C (ascorbic acid, AA) on erythrocytes osmotic fragility (EOF), haemoglobin index (HI), colonic temperature (CT) and recovery times of transported Japanese quails during the hot-dry conditions. Two hundred male Japanese quails were used. The birds were randomly and equally divided into four groups: VE and AA groups, administered with 0.5 mg/kg and 200 mg/ kg body weight of VE and AA, respectively, control transported group (control group), administered with 0.5 ml of sterile water, and sedentary non-transported group (S). One hour after the administration of the antioxidants, the birds were transported by road for 2 h. The EOF, HI and CT were recorded before transportation, immediately after transportation (0) and on 3rd and 7th day of post-transportation period. The results showed that transportation induced hyperthermia, increased EOF and hypochromic erythrocytes in the quails, the effects of which were mitigated by antioxidants VE and AA. Base-line values for EOF were returned to normal in the control, AA and VE quails on days 7, 3 and 0, respectively post-transportation. The findings showed that recovery time after transportation in quails should be 7 days; but the duration may be reduced to 3 days if treated with AA or eliminated completely if the quails are treated with VE before transportation. The ameliorating effect was more pronounced in quails administered with antioxidant VE. The EOF may be employed as a biomarker and additional diagnostic tool for the assessment of transport-induce oxidative stress in quails.

Highlights

The increase in demand for Japanese quails (Coturnixcoturnix japonica) as laboratory and farm birds has necessitated their transportation from one laboratory or farm to the other for the purpose of research, meat and egg production
The thermal environmental data recorded before, during and after transportation periods showed that the Ambient temperature (AT), relative humidity (RH) and Temperature-humidity index (THI) recorded inside the pen before and after transportation had mean values of 37.0 ± 0.5°C, 72.7 ± 5.0% and 32 ± 3.0, respectively
The mean colonic temperature (CT) recorded in all the groups of the quails during transportation period are shown in Table

Summary

Introduction

The increase in demand for Japanese quails (Coturnixcoturnix japonica) as laboratory and farm birds has necessitated their transportation from one laboratory or farm to the other for the purpose of research, meat and egg production. Transportation of quails by road may compromise their welfare, productivity and the expected experimental results, especially if it is done under adverse environmental conditions and the birds are not given adequate time for the normalization of potentially confounding physiological changes. Road transportation of animals under high environmental temperature induces physiological and psychological stress which may cause damages to enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense systems. Body temperature measurement is an important method of evaluation of physiological status. It is an ideal indicator for the assessment of stress and adaptability of livestock, including poultry, to various environmental stress factors [14,15,16]

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