Effect of Feed Additive on the Mineral Composition of Quail Blood

Abstract

Blood serum microelement composition of egg-laying quails raised in the urban environment is of great scientific and practical interest. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of a feed additive on the mineral composition of quail blood. To stimulate metabolism and egg productivity, quails of the experimental group were fed with a supplement containing magnesium, vitamins B, L-carnitine at the dose of 0.25 ml/liter of water for 120 days. At the age of 120 days, the blood serum micronutrient composition of experimental (10) and control (10) birds were measured by mass spectrometry followed by mathematical processing of the data obtained under laboratory conditions. Figuratively, all studied elements are divided into 4 groups i.e. macronutrients (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and magnesium); essential elements (iron, copper, zinc, selenium, molybdenum, chromium, manganese, cobalt); roughly essential (silicon, boron, arsenic, lithium, and nickel) and roughly toxic (aluminum, titanium, lead, mercury, antimony, and cadmium). Results of the study revealed that the blood serum of a control group have a wide range of studied mineral content components while in the experimental group, egg-laying quails showed a decrease in phosphorus (18.30%), iron (12.29%), copper (6.76%), zinc (6.92%), molybdenum (18.80%), arsenic (14.00%) and cadmium (12.50%), as well as increases the concentration of magnesium (5.85%), manganese (28.31%), nickel (39.40%), lithium (8.32%), titanium (11.96%), lead (16.13%), mercury (13.34%) and antimony (14.29%) relative to the control group. The data obtained indicate that the feed additive had an ambiguous effect on the metabolism and led to changes in the concentration of certain trace elements in the blood serum, which in turn influenced the levels of other elements. The higher content of Ni, Li, Ti, Pb, Hg, and Sb in the blood serum of experimental laying quail stimulated the activity of enzymes, metabolic processes, which contributed to an earlier start of egg-laying.