NANOSILVER AS GROWTH PROMOTER: EFFECTS ON INTESTINAL MORPHOLOGY, MICROBIAL POPULATION AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF JAPANESE QUAIL
JALAL SALARY
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural, Bu–Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran.
MAJID KALANTAR
Scientific Board Member of Agricultural Research Center of Qom, Iran.
HAMID REZA HEMATI MATIN *
School of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of some growth promoters on intestinal morphology, microbial population, and growth performance of Japanese quail. A total of 240 5-day-old quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were randomly assigned into 4 experimental diets with a completely randomized design over 40 days of age. Diets had 4 replications consisting of 15 quails in each. Diets included control diet (without growth promoters), control diet plus formaycine (150 ppm), nano-Ag (30 ppm), or virginamaycin (150 ppm). Quails fed diets containing different growth promoters had greater body weight gain and feed intake than control (P<0.05). The highest and lowest villi height were observed by diets containing nano-Ag and control, respectively (P<0.05). Diets containing nano-Ag led to a decreases in crypt depth compared with other diets (P<0.05). However, all tested feed additives caused increases in villi index rather than control (P<0.05). The inclusion of tested feed additives in diets caused an increased in ileal and ceca lactic acid bacteria counts as compared to control (P<0.05). The data suggest that nano-Ag (30 ppm/kg) have potential as well as formaycin and virginiamycin in promoting growth in quail. Therefore, it could serve as alternative to antibiotic growth promoter in poultry industry.
Keywords: Japanese quail, nanosilver, microflora, morphology, growth rate