Abstract: |
ABSTRACT This work aimed to assess how Portulaca
oleracea extract (POE) affected Japanese quail’s growth,
carcass features, blood parameters, digestibility coefficients,
and microbiological aspects. A total of two hundred
twenty-five 7-days-old Japanese quails were allotted
into 5 experimental groups. Birds were divided as follows:
group 1) received only the base diet (control), while
groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 received the basal feed supplied with
1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 mL POE/kg diet, respectively. The
findings cleared those quails’ fed diets supplemented with
POE had significantly (P > 0.01) higher body weight
(BW) and body weight growth (BWG) than the control
group. The treatment with POE significantly affected
digestive enzymes (amylase and lipase) and digestion coefficients
for ether extract (EE). The treated groups had
decreased serum urea and malonaldehyde (MDA) and
increased Immunoglobulin G (IgG), Immunoglobulin M
(IgM), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant
capacity (TAC), glutathione (GSH), and catalase
(CAT) concentrations than the control. All bacterial
counts in dietary cecal samples declined with increasing
POE levels. In conclusion, POE supplementation
improved quails’ performance and nutrient digestibility.
Moreover, POE did not harm birds’ liver and kidney functions.
In addition, this extract promoted the immunity
and antioxidant status and minimized the harmful microbial
load in quails’ intestines, the total bacterial count was
decreased by 90% in diet samples supplemented with
purslane addition level (4 mL/g), while decreased by 74%
in cecal samples supplemented with purslane addition
level (4 mL/g) and Salmonella don’t appear in all addition
levels. However, lactic acid bacteria increased by 70%,
indicating beneficial of POE in reducing the pathogenic
microorganisms.
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