PSXVI-11 Effects of different level of guava extract on diet of japanese quail breeder (Coturnix coturnix japonica) on intestinal growth of neonate japanese quail.

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the use of guava extract (Psidium guajava L.) as an antioxidant additive in the diets of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) in laying phase and to verify the intestinal growth of the neonate quail. The experiment was conduced at Federal University of Goias. The extract contained 2.13% ellagic acid. A six hundred forty-eight (648) eggs of layer japanese quails fed with guava extract in the diet were incubated in a completely randomized design, in a single-stage incubator. Temperature of 37°C and humidity of 65% was maintained. Four levels of guava extract were added in the ration of the breeders (0.0%, 0.3%, 0.6% and 0.9%), with 162 replicates, each egg being considered an experimental unit. The incubation period and the hatch window totaled 408h and 40h, respectively. At the end of hatch window, 52 quails from eggs of each treatment were necropsied. The parameters of intestinal development studied were: villus height, crypt depth and villus:crypt ratio of duodenal segments. The results were submitted to analysis of variance and Tukey test at 5% probability. The levels of 0.3%, 0.6% and 0.9% of inclusion of the extract increasing the villus heigh and crypt depth higher than 0.0%. The use of guava extract as an antioxidant improved intestinal development. It is possible that antioxidant effect of ellagic acid preserved the lipidic structures of the membranes of the intestinal villi, avoiding their oxidation during the process of embryonic development. The use of up to 0.3% inclusion of the extract increased the villi:crypt ratio. It is concluded that the use of 0.3% inclusion of guava extract, contained ellagic acid in layer quail diets enhance the intestinal development of the neonate quail.