Response of growing Japanese quails to dietary concentration of L-threonine

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 86; no. 5; pp. 793 - 798
• Main Authors: Mandal, A.B, Kaur, S, Johri, A.K, Elangovan, A.V, Deo, C, Shrivastava, H.P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 15.04.2006; Wiley; John Wiley and Sons, Limited
• Subjects: amino acids; animal growth; animal performance; Animal productions; balance studies; Biological and medical sciences; carcass characteristics; cell-mediated immunity; Diet; dietary protein; dietary supplements; feed conversion; feed intake; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; growth; humoral immunity; immune response; Immune system; Japanese quails; L-threonine; Livestock industry; liveweight gain; nitrogen balance; nutrient utilization; physiological response; poultry feeding; quails; Terrestrial animal productions; threonine; Vertebrates; Weight; Wildfowl; quails; Vertebrata; Farming animal; Immune response; Poultry; Growth; threonine; Nutrient; Concentration; Aves; Quail; nutrient utilization
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.2417

The influence of dietary levels of L-threonine (Thr) on growth and immune response was investigated in growing (0-5 weeks of age) Japanese quails (n = 288). Three dietary treatments were formulated using three levels of Thr [9.6, 10.2 and 11.2 kg-1 diet dry matter (DM)] at a fixed protein level of 233 g kg-1 and an energy level of 12.15 MJ (2900 kcal) metabolizable energy (ME) kg-1 feed dry matter. A metabolism trial with a 3-day collection period was conducted at the third week of age employing all the birds. The cell-mediated (using PHA-P) and humoral (SRBC response) immune responses were measured at the fourth week of age. Carcass traits were assessed at the end of fifth week of age. Body weight gain was lower (P < 0.01) in birds received 9.6 g Thr kg-1 DM than in groups fed 10.2 g or 11.2 g kg-1 DM in the diet, but there was no significant difference in gain between the groups fed 10.2 or 11.2 g Thr kg-1 DM in the diet. Feed intake differed significantly owing to Thr levels being lowest (P < 0.05) at 9.6 g Thr kg-1 DM in the diet. Feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency and energy efficiency improved at the 11.2 g kg-1 level from 0 to 3 weeks of age; however, from 3 to 5 weeks of age, better FCR emanated from a diet with 9.6 g Thr kg-1 DM. The nitrogen balance did not differ (P > 0.05) with Thr level. Carcass traits, relative weight of immune organs and cell-mediated (PHA-P) and humoral (SRBC response) immune responses did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) as a result of the dietary treatments.