Nutrient Metabolism in Quails Fed Diets Containing Noni (Morinda citrifolia) Shoot Leaf Meal and Lemuru Fish Oil

Introduction: Quail eggs are highly nutritious but their consumption is limited by their cholesterol content. Noni (Morinda citrifolia) shoot leaf meal (NSLM) and Lemuru fish oil (LFO) represent potential alternative feed ingredients. Yet, limited studies have evaluated the effects on nutrient metabolism and egg quality in quail. This research aimed to evaluate the effects of NSLM and LFO on nutrient metabolism, health status, and egg quality in quail. Materials & Methods: A total of ۲۰۰ laying quail were allocated to a completely randomized design (CRD) with five dietary treatments and four replications of ۱۰ birds each. The treatments included: T۰ (control)=diet with ۰% NSLM and ۲% palm oil (control); T۱=diet with ۲.۵% NSLM and ۲% LFO; T۲=diet with ۵% NSLM and ۲% LFO; T۳=diet with ۷.۵% NSLM and ۲% LFO; and T۴=diet with ۱۰% NSLM and ۲% LFO. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s HSD post-hoc test. Results: The results showed that the diet supplemented with ۵% NSLM and ۲% LFO (T۲) significantly increased (P<۰.۰۵) the metabolizable energy (ME) value to ۲,۹۹۲.۶۶ kcal/kg, without reducing protein retention (P>۰.۰۵) or fat retention (P<۰.۰۵). Intestinal health of quail was not negatively affected, a significant increase (P<۰.۰۱) in jejunal villus heightto-crypt depth ratio was observed in quail in T۲ and T۳ treatments. All dietary treatments maintained the nutritional quality of quail eggs (P>۰.۰۵), particularly in terms of protein and lipid contents. Conclusion: The T۲ formulation (۵% NSLM and ۲% LFO ) was identified as the most effective dietary formulation for optimizing nutrient metabolism, improving intestinal morphology, and producing nutrient-enriched quail eggs.

کلیدواژه ها:

Egg quality ، Lemuru Fish Oil ، Metabolizable energy ، Morinda citrifolia ، quail