Browsing by Author "Sparks, NHC"

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Effect of Organic Selenium in Quail Diet on Its Accumulation in Tissues and Transfer To the Progeny
(Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2006) Surai, PF; Karadas, F; Pappas, AC; Sparks, NHC
1. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects on the eggs and hatchlings ( up to 2 weeks post-hatch) of feeding a relatively large amount of so-called organic selenium to breeder quail. 2. Two groups of quail ( 3 families in each group consisting of 4 females and 1 male) were formed at the beginning of their reproductive period. The quail were fed on a commercial maize-based diet containing 0.096 mg/kg feed-derived selenium ( Se), supplemented with 0.2 mg/kg selenite ( control group) or 0.5 mg/kg organic selenium in the form of Sel-Plex (TM) ( Alltech Ltd, USA) for 6 months. Eggs were collected at 6 months of age and Se in the egg yolk, egg white and shell was analysed. Five quail at 1, 7 and 14d post-hatch were killed to provide samples of liver, brain, breast and leg muscles for Se analysis. After egg collection for analysis and incubation, adult quail were killed and liver, kidney, lung, brain, breast and leg muscles were collected for Se analyses. 3. Inclusion of high doses ( 0.5 mg/kg) of organic Se in the quail diet was associated with a significant increase in Se concentration in all tissues studied of adult quail as well as in egg yolk, egg albumin and eggshell. 4. Increased Se concentration in the quail egg was associated with increased Se concentration in the liver, breast and leg muscles and brain of newly hatched quail. This difference was shown to be significant for 2 weeks post-hatch. Therefore, it has been suggested that the maternal effect of dietary selenium can be seen beyond the hatching time and more emphasis should be given to this effect in future. 5. It was shown that it is possible to produce Se-enriched quail meat and eggs by adding organic selenium to the diet.
Effects of Maternal Dietary Supplementation With Three Sources of Carotenoids on the Retinyl Esters of Egg Yolk and Developing Quail Liver
(Elsevier Science inc, 2005) Karadas, F; Surai, PF; Sparks, NHC; Grammenidis, E
The effects of supplementation of the maternal diet of quail with three natural sources of carotenoids (alfalfa nutrient concentrate (PX agro (TM)), tomato powder and marigold extract) on the accumulation of retinol and retinyl esters in egg yolk and in the liver of the new hatchling and maternal were investigated. The present study showed that the vitamin A in quail egg yolk was present in 4 different forms, namely retinol (R 52-62%), retinyl linoleate (RL 9-11%), retinyl stearate (RS 4%), retinyl oleate (RO 11-15%) and retinyl palmitate (RP 13-22%). The retinyl ester profile of the liver of newly hatched quail (R 2-4%, RL 8-12%, RS 19-21%, RO 12-15%, RP 50-55%) differs from that of egg yolk but was similar to that of the liver of adult quail (R 1%, RL 5-6%, RS 21-28%, RO 9-12%, RP 54-63%). It has been shown that RO and RP concentrations in egg yolk and the liver of day old quail chick significantly increased as a result of carotenoid supplementation of the maternal diet. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Supplementation of the Maternal Diet With Tomato Powder and Marigold Extract: Effects on the Antioxidant System of the Developing Quail
(Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2006) Karadas, F; Surai, P; Grammenidis, E; Sparks, NHC; Acamovic, T
1. The effects of natural dietary carotenoid supplementation of the maternal diet ( tomato powder and marigold extract) on transfer to the egg yolk and on the development of the antioxidant system of the young quail liver in early postnatal life were investigated. 2. Sixty Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were allocated to four treatment groups, each with three replicates consisting of four females and one male each. The quail were fed on one of four different diets for 23d, each of them based on a low carotenoid, wheat/barley-based control diet. Tomato powder and marigold extract were added at rates of 20 and 2g/kg to treatments 2 and 3, respectively. Marigold extract and tomato powder were also used in combination in treatment 4 at 2 g marigold+20 g tomato powder/kg of diet. 3. At 20 weeks of age, 60 eggs from each treatment were collected and placed in an incubator. After hatching, d-old quail from each group were reared (under standard commercial conditions) up to 14d of age. They were fed on a low-carotenoid commercial diet. After hatch, at 1, 7 and 14d, the livers of five young quail from each treatment were assessed for total carotenoid concentration and carotenoid profile. 4. Results indicated that lycopene is transferred from the feed to the egg yolk and further to the liver of the developing embryo. Elevated carotenoid concentration in the egg yolk and correspondingly in the liver of newly hatched quail remains significant during first week posthatch. 5. Lutein and lycopene did not affect vitamin E concentration in the egg yolk or liver of the newly hatched quail. A combination of increased concentrations of lycopene and lutein in the egg yolk results in elevated concentrations of coenzyme Q in the liver of the newly hatched quail.
Tissue-Specific Distribution of Carotenoids and Vitamin E in Tissues of Newly Hatched Chicks From Various Avian Species
(Elsevier Science inc, 2005) Karadas, F; Wood, NAR; Surai, PF; Sparks, NHC
The aim of this study was to evaluate carotenoid and vitamin E distribution in egg and tissues of newly hatched chicks from wild mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), game pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), free-range guinea fowl (Numida meleagris), hen (Gallus domesticus) and domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos) and intensively housed hens. Carotenoid concentrations in the egg yolk of free-range guinea fowl, pheasant and wild mallard were similar (61.3-79.2 mu g/g). Egg yolks from ducks and intensively housed hens were characterised by the lowest carotenoid concentration comprising 11.2-14.8 mu g/g. However, carotenoid concentration in eggs from free-range ducks and hens was less than half of that in free-range guinea fowl or pheasant. Depending on carotenoid concentration in the livers of species studied could be placed in the following descending order: free living pheasant > free-range guinea fowl > free-range hen > intensively housed hen > wild mallard > housed duck > freerange duck. The carotenoid concentrations in other tissues of free-range guinea fowl and pheasant were substantially higher than in the other species studied. Egg yolk of housed hens was characterised by the highest alpha- and gamma-tocopherol concentrations. In accordance with the alpha-tocopherol concentration in the egg yolk, the birds can be placed in the following descending order: intensively housed hen > wild mallard > free-living pheasant > free-range duck > free-range hen = free-range guinea fowl > housed duck. The main finding of this work is species- and tissue-specific differences in carotenoid and vitamin E distribution in the various avian species studied. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.