Efficacy of dietary supplementation of nanoparticles-chromium, chromium-methionine and zinc-proteinate, on performance of Japanese quail under physiological stress

Abstract

The effects of dietary Nanoparticles-Chromium, Chromium methionine, and Zinc-proteinate on performance, blood characteristics and meat quality of physiologically stressed quails were studied. The stress was induced by adding dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg BW) to diet when quails were between 17 and 22 days of age. Three hundred one-day chicks were randomly assigned to five groups comprising four replicates of 15 birds: negative control diet (no-stress, no-additive), positive control diet (stress, no-additive), and stress additive diets which included three diets containing 800 µg/kg of Nano-Cr, 800 µg/kg Cr-met, and 60 mg/kg Zn-pro. Performance and hematological parameters were affected by physiological stress (p < .05), but were not affected by dietary Nano-Cr, Cr-met or Zn-pro. During the stress period, feed consumption was improved by Zn-pro supplementation. By the end of the experiment, the ultimate pH value of the muscle in stressed birds, which were fed on the Cr-met diet, was higher than those treated with NC, but pH values were not affected by the treatments. Diets containing Nano-Cr and Zn-pro caused a reduction in malondialdehyde concentration in the thigh muscle. In summary, 800 µg/kg of Nano-Cr and 60 mg/kg of Zn-pro can reduce the negative effects of stress on meat quality. Highlights Dietary dexamethasone induced physiological stress in quails. The supplementation of 60 mg/kg of Zinc proteinate had positive effect on feed intake of birds under physiological stress. Dietary Zinc proteinate and Nanoparticles-Chromium increased meat oxidative stability in birds which experienced physiological stress.