Influence of dietary epigallocatechin-3 gallate and L-arginine and its combination on early laying performance and physiological status of stressed Japanese quails

Abstract

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the effect of dietary EGCG and L-arg supplementation to alleviate the oxidative stress induced artificially by H2O2 in drinking water by using 400 layer quails. The research lasted for 8 weeks and birds were distributed into 5 groups, each group had 4 replications. The groups were divided into G1: negative control, G2: addition 0.2% H2O2 to drinking water, G3 and G4: addition 500 mg/kg of EGCG and L-arg each. G5: addition 250 mg/kg mixture of EGCG and L-arg each. H2O2 was added to drinking water in G3, G4 and G5. The results revealed that feed intake, egg weight, egg mass and egg production were increased in G3, G4, G5 and G1 and the same groups led to decrease FCR and mortality compared to G2. The duodenal morphology was decreased in G2 as well. In plasma, high levels of (AST, ALT, uric acid, creatinine, glucose and total cholesterol) and low levels of (LOOH, SOD, catalase, GPx, FRAP and total protein) were in favor of G2. In conclusion, supplementation of EGCG and L-arg or their mixture in diet attenuated the detrimental effect of oxidative stress through improve productive and physiological aspects of layer quails.