Biochemical parameters, Japanese quail, Moringa oleifera leaf meal.

Poultry production stands as a dynamic sector within agriculture, rapidly expanding to meet the diverse demands of global population.  The 20th   livestock census of 2019 revealed a substantial poultry population in India, totaling 851.81 million birds. Commercial quail farming is becoming more popular and is being increasingly promoted in number of Asian and European countries and in Africa (RSPCA, 2011). The quail, also known as "bater" in hindi, is a small bird that belongs to the family Phasianidae, genus Coturnix and species coturnix japonica. Quail meat and eggs have garnered attention for their nutritional richness, boasting abundant antioxidants, proteins, minerals and of vitamins, as documented by Bao et al. (2020). National Research Council (NRC) in 1994 emphasized that quails necessitate a higher protein intake compared to chickens, further highlighting the nutritional significance of quail-derived products in meeting consumer demands for diverse and nutrient-dense protein sources. Due to increased demand for protein sources, there is need to check for an alternative which is available locally with higher protein percentages.

In pursuit of cost-effective protein sources for poultry nutrition, the leaf meal derived from the tropical  browse plant,  Moringa oleifera, emerges as a promising candidate. Renowned for its robust nutritional profile, Moringa oleifera leaf meal contains substantial levels of crude protein ranging from  25% to 30%, alongwith essential amino acids, minerals, carotenoids, and vitamins (Nkukwana et al., 2014; Lu et al. 2016). The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of  dietary  incorporation  of  Moringa oleifera  leaf  meal on biochemical   parameters of Japanese quail.

A. Experimental Location, Birds and Management

The present study was conducted to discern the effect of dietary incorporation of Moringa oleifera  leaf meal on biochemical parameters of  Japanese quail. The entire study was conducted at  Instructional Poultry Farm (I.P.F.) and Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar   located at latitude of 28°53′24″ North, longitude of 77°34′27″ East at an altitude of 243.84 meters above Mean Sea Level. 

For this experimental trial, two hundred and eighty eight  (288 Nos.), day-old Japanese quail chicks were hatched and reared at Instructional Poultry Farm (I.P.F), Nagla, Govind Ballabh Pant  University of  Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. Each treatment comprised of three replicates consisting of 12 Japanese quails per replicate. Japanese quail were reared in a cage system using standard management and health care practices.  The quail chicks were fed ad libitum feed and had access to clean and fresh water in suitable troughs to all quail chicks during the experimental feeding trial. For the experiment, two types of basal diets were prepared to meet the nutrient requirement of Japanese quail, i.e., starter (0-3 weeks) and finisher (3-6 weeks) as per  ICAR (2013). The eight dietary treatments were T1 (Basal diet), T2 (Basal diet with vitamin C @ 200 mg/kg), T3 (Basal diet with vitamin E @ 10 IU/kg), T4 (Basal diet with 1% MOLM), T5 (Basal diet with 3% MOLM), T6 (Basal diet with 5% MOLM), T7 (Basal diet with 7% MOLM) and T8 (Basal diet with 9% MOLM). Blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis on the 42 day of the experiment.

B. Statistical Analysis

Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software.

Serum protein  profile: The mean values of  serum protein  profile viz.,  total protein, albumin, globulin and A/G ratio are given in Table  1.  

Table 1: Average values of   serum protein  profile  in Japanese quail  at 6 weeks of age fed diets incorporated with Moringa olifera leaf meal.

Serum total protein. The mean serum total protein values were observed as 6.72±0.06, 6.74±0.07, 6.76±0.09, 6.99±0.05, 7.09±0.02, 7.14±0.03,  6.80±0.07 and 6.95±0.25 (g/dl) for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8 treatment groups respectively. Non-significant (P≥0.05) effect on mean serum total protein values was observed when Japanese quail were fed diet with various levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal.

Serum albumin. The mean serum albumin values  were noticed as  3.98±0.01, 3.92±0.39, 3.96±0.05, 3.92±0.03, 3.88±0.02, 3.85±0.01, 4.09±0.31, and 4.07±0.40 (g/dl) for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8 dietary treatment group respectively.  Non-significant (P≥0.05) effect on mean serum albumin values was observed when Japanese quail were fed diet with various levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal. 

Serum globulin. The mean serum globulin values  were recorded as 2.74±0.06, 2.81±0.46, 2.79±0.15, 3.07±0.02, 3.21±0.01, 3.28±0.03,  2.71±0.38,  and 2.88±0.34 (g/dl)  for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8 dietary treatment group respectively. Non-significant (P≥0.05) effect on mean serum globulin values was observed when Japanese quail were fed diet with various levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal.

Albumin/ Globulin ratio. Non-significant (P≥0.05) effects on mean A/G ratio was observed when Japanese quail were fed diet with different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal. 

The results showed that mean serum total protein, albumin, globulin and albumin/globulin ratio did not changed significantly (P≥0.05) with inclusion of  Moringa oleifera leaf meal (1.0, 3.0, 5.0, 7.0 and 9.0%) in diet of Japanese quail. The results of this study relate the report of Makanjuola et al. (2014) as they reported that 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6% Moringa oleifera  leaf meal (MOLM)  did not influence the serum total protein, albumin, and globulin of broilers. Contrary to the current findings, Meel  et al. (2022) observed that a significant reduction (P˂0.05) in serum biochemical parameters like albumin, globulin and total protein upon Moringa oleifera leaf meal supplementation upto 2.0% level in broiler diet. Similarly, Abbas et al. (2018) also reported significant reductions (P≤0.05) in serum albumin, globulin and  total serum protein concentration of broiler chickens fed  MOLM @ 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0% as compared to control. Also   better albumin (A) to globulin (G) ratio in birds supplemented with MOLM at levels 0.25% and 0.50%. Whereas there was no significant (P≥0.05) difference in A/G ratio between birds fed 0.75%, 1.0% of MOLM and control group. Results of A/G ratio are in line with Yang et al. (2006) who reported that the dietary supplementation of MOLM decreases A/G ratio in the serum of broilers. 

Serum glucose and serum lipid profile: The mean values of  serum glucose(mg/dl) serum lipid profile viz., serum glucose(mg/dl), serum cholesterol (mg/dl), serum triglycerides (mg/dl), serum HDL (mg/dl), serum LDL (mg/dl) and  serum VLDL cholesterol level are given in Table 2. 

Table 2:  Average values of serum lipid profile in Japanese quail  at 6 weeks of  age fed diets incorporated with Moringa olifera leaf meal.

Means with different superscripts (a, b, c, d)   in a row differ significantly (P≤ 0.05) from each other

Serum glucose. A significant (P≤0.05) difference in average serum glucose level was observed when Japanese quail  was fed diet with various levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal. Significantly (P≤0.05) reduced serum glucose level was noticed   in T6 (193.33) group and higher in T1 followed by T2 and T3 treatment group respectively.

Serum cholesterol. The mean serum cholesterol level were recorded as 135.34±0.35, 133.40±1.25, 134.74±1.07, 129.74±0.56, 128.41±2.83, 121.07±5.63, 124.40±7.55, and 123.74±2.06  (mg/dl) for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8 treatment group respectively.  Significant (P≤0.05) effect on mean serum cholesterol level was observed when Japanese quail was fed diet with different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal. 

Serum triglycerides. The  mean serum triglycerides level was observed significantly (P≤0.05)  when Japanese quail was fed diet with different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal. Significant (P≤0.05) lower serum triglyceride was in T5 followed by T4   treatment group as compared to control group.

Serum HDL. Significant (P≤0.05) effects on mean serum HDL (mg/dl)  level was observed when Japanese quail  was fed diet with different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal. The value for serum HDL (mg/dl) was noticed as 38.05±0.01, 38.11±0.03, 38.12±0.04, 39.27±0.01, 41.57±0.11,  41.07±0.35,  40.77±0.65 and 39.43±0.02 for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8 treatment group respectively. Significantly (P≤0.05) higher serum HDL was observed in T5 followed by T6 and T7   treatment group respectively. 

Serum LDL. A significant (P≤0.05) effects on mean serum LDL (mg/dl) level was observed when Japanese quail was fed diet with different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal. The value for mean serum LDL (mg/dl) was noticed as 77.39±0.34, 75.54±1.15, 77.06±1.11, 71.37±0.41,  68.07±3.01, 60.46±5.37,   63.96±8.14,   and  64.80±2.03 for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8 treatment group  respectively. Significantly (P≤0.05) higher serum LDL was observed in T1 and lower in  T6  treatment group respectively.

VLDL Cholesterol. Significantly (P≤0.05) lower serum VLDL Cholesterol concentration was observed in T5 followed by T4 treatment group respectively.

In present findings biochemical parameters showed significant (P≤0.05) reduction in serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, serum LDL, and serum VLDL cholesterol and significant (P≤0.05) improvement in  serum  HDL  with  increasing level of MOLM  in diet of Japanese quail. It has reported that Moringa plants contain high amount of polyphenols (Moyo et al.,  2012) flavonoids, alkaloids and phenolic compounds  (Verma et al., 2009).  In the current investigation, noteworthy declines in cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations within the blood serum of quail birds are posited to correlate with the aforementioned phytochemical constituents inherent to Moringa oleifera leaf meal. In the process of intestinal digestion, cholesterol emerges as a principal constituent of bile acids discharged. Fibrous material envelops these bile acids within the intestine, facilitating their elimination from the body. Consequently, this prompts the organism to extract cholesterol from the bloodstream for bile acid synthesis, consequently mitigating blood cholesterol levels (Olugbemi et al., 2010). Similarly, Abou-Elkhair et al. (2020) found that serum glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol content decreased with the increasing level (0.5, 1.0 and 5.0%) of  MOLM in the diets of broiler chickens.  Likewise  Meel  et al. (2022) found a significant reduction (P≤0.05) in serum glucose, triglyceride in MOLM supplemented group in broilers. Furthermore  Abbas et al. (2018) showed that serum total cholesterol, LDL and VLDL were significantly (P≤0.05) declined in Moringa oleifera leaf meal (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0%) treated groups in comparison with the control, whereas, the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations were increased significantly (P≤0.05) when Moringa oleifera leaf meal was included in the diets of broilers. 

Serum enzymes profile: The mean values of serum enzyme, Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Alanine amino transferase (ALT) and Aspartate amino transferase (AST) are depicted in Table 3.

Regarding the values of  Alanine amino transferase (ALT) and Aspartate amino transferase (AST) did not showed any significant difference in dietary treatments incorporated with Moringa oleifera  leaf meal in diet of  Japanese quail. But significantly (P≤0.05) lower serum values of Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in different treatment groups.

The present findings are contrary with the report of  Divya et al. (2014) who reported  significantly (P≤0.05) decreased serum alanine amino transferase  and serum aspartate amino transferase  in broiler chicks with increasing level (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%) of Moringa leaf  powder feeding. Similarly Meel et al. (2022) showed significant reduction (P≤0.05) in alanine amino transferase (ALT) in broiler chicks fed with MOLM as compared to control diet. Likewise Abbas et al. (2018) noticed that alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme activity was significantly decreased in all supplemented groups with Moringa oleifera leaf meal as compared with the control group in birds.

Table 3:  Average values of liver function enzyme in Japanese quail  at 6 weeks of age fed diets incorporated with Moringa olifera leaf meal.

Means with different superscripts (a, b, c, d)   in a row differ significantly (P≤ 0.05) from each other

Renal function test, serum Ca and P level: The mean values of serum uric acid (mg/dl), serum creatinine, serum calcium and serum phosphorus are given in Table 4.

Serum calcium: A significant (P≤0.05) effect on the average concentration of serum calcium was observed when Japanese quail was fed diet with different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal. Significantly (P≤0.05) higher serum calcium was noticed in T5 followed by   T6 treatment group as compared to control. 

Serum phosphorus. Significant (P≤0.05) effects on the average concentration of serum phosphorus were observed when Japanese quail chicks were fed diet with different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal.   Significantly (P≤0.05) higher serum phosphorus was observed in T4   followed by T5  treatment group as compared to control.

Serum uric acid. Non-significant (P≥0.05) effects on average concentration of serum uric acid (mg/dl) were observed when Japanese quail was fed diet with different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal. This observation was similar with the result of   Tijani et al. (2016), who reported that uric acid contents were similar in birds fed 5%, 10% and 15% Moringa leaves treated diets.

Serum creatinine: Significant (P≤0.05) effects on the average concentration of serum creatinine were observed when Japanese quail were fed diet with different levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal. Significant (P≤0.05) lower serum creatinine was observed in T5 followed  by  T6 treatment group respectively. Statistically similar serum creatinine  were observed in T1, T3, T4, and T8 treatment groups respectively. Moringa oleifera is rich in flavonoids and carotenoids (β-carotene), which positively affect creatinine levels in the serum (Elkloub et al., 2015). The findings are in accordance with the report of Castillo et al. (2018) who observed significantly (P≤0.05) decreased serum creatinine with increasing levels (7, 14 and 21%) of  MOL in the diets of Japanese quail. The creatinine values obtained were within the normal physiological range and are indicative of normal functioning of the kidneys (Hammad  et al., 2018).

Table 4:  Average values of  renal function test, serum Ca and  P level (mg/dl)   in Japanese quail chick  at 6 weeks of age fed diets incorporated with Moringa olifera leaf meal.

Means with different superscripts (a, b, c, d)   in a row differ significantly (P≤ 0.05) from each other

Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that 3% Moringa oleifera leaf meal can be incorporated in feed for improvement of biochemical parameters of the Japanese quail.

Similar type of work can be conducted in different  species of poultry.