Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of technical cashew nutshell liquid (TCNSL) in European quails (Coturnix coturnix coturnix) diets from 1 to 35 days of age on the performance, carcass traits, and development of the digestive organs. 575 quails were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments (0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1.00% TCNSL), five replicates, and 23 birds per experimental unit. Live performance was evaluated by weight gain, average feed intake, and feed to conversion ratio. The relative weight of the digestive organs (proventriculus, gizzard, pancreas, liver, small intestine, and large intestine), length of the small and large intestine, and carcass and parts yield (breast, wing, and leg) were determined at the end of the experimental period (35 days). The supplementation of quail diets with TCNSL did not influence live performance or carcass and parts yields. The relative weights of the proventriculus, gizzard, pancreas, small intestine, and large intestine, and the length of the small intestine and large intestine were not affected by the dietary inclusion of TCNSL. However, TCNSL supplementation had a quadratic effect (p<0.05) on liver relative weight, with the lowest relative weight predicted at 0.33% TCNSL. Quails fed 1% TCNSL showed higher liver relative weight compared with those fed the TCNSL-free diets. The dietary inclusion of up to 1% TCNSL did not influence the performance, carcass traits, or development of the digestive organs of European quails.
Highlights
The concern of consumers about the possibility of antibiotic residues in animal food products as well as the ban on antibiotics as a performance enhancer in many European countries have recently boosted research on natural additives
Cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) is typically used as a raw material for manufacturing waterproofing agents, paints, varnishes, plastics, and other products (Akinhanmi et al, 2008), its phenolic composition has attracted the interest of nutritionists because it is correlated to several biological activities, such as antimicrobial (López et al, 2012) and antioxidant properties (Abreu et al, 2017)
Extraction by maceration of the cashew nutshell with solvents at room temperature produces a liquid with high anacardic acid level, whereas roasting at high temperatures favors the decarboxylation of anacardic acid, increasing the final content of cardanol, which is classified as technical CNSL (Paramashivappa et al, 2001; Kumar et al, 2002)
Summary
The concern of consumers about the possibility of antibiotic residues in animal food products as well as the ban on antibiotics as a performance enhancer in many European countries have recently boosted research on natural additives. Cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL), obtained from cashew fruit peel, contains cardanol, anacardic, cardol, and 2-methylcardol acids in its composition (Trevisan et al, 2006), which confer many biological activities, such as antimicrobial (López et al, 2012) and antioxidant properties (Abreu et al, 2017). These substances help to balance the intestinal microbiota by inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria by inducing cellular apoptosis (Muzaffar & Chattoo, 2017) and favoring the growth of beneficial bacteria that aid digestive and absorptive processes. These compounds can act as free radical scavengers, acting in the initial stage of the oxidative eRBCA-2019-0823
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