Premium
Effects of the stems and leaves of Astragalus membranaceus on growth performance, immunological parameters, antioxidant status, and intestinal bacteria of quail
Author(s) -
Guo Lili,
Hua Jin,
Luan Zhihua,
Xue Puyou,
Zhou Songquan,
Wang Xiaomin,
Qin Nan
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
animal science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.606
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1740-0929
pISSN - 1344-3941
DOI - 10.1111/asj.13213
Subject(s) - quail , catalase , immune system , astragalus , biology , zoology , glutathione peroxidase , bacteria , feed conversion ratio , colony forming unit , antioxidant , veterinary medicine , immunology , medicine , endocrinology , body weight , biochemistry , alternative medicine , genetics , traditional chinese medicine , pathology
This study was designed to evaluate the potential application of the stems and leaves of Astragalus membranaceus (AMSL) in the poultry industry. Quails were divided into four groups and fed daily with an AMSL‐free diet (control) or with 1%, 3%, or 5% (w/w) AMSL‐incorporated diets for 35 days. The results showed that supplementing AMSL in the diet, especially at a concentration of 3%, increased daily gain and feed intake during the entire experiment ( p < 0.05). The immune organ development of the thymus and bursa of Fabricius was promoted, and the immune system was enhanced by increasing the quantities of IgA and complements C3 and C4 ( p < 0.05). The total antioxidant capacity and the activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase were increased ( p < 0.05). Moreover, the 3%–5% AMSL groups regulated the intestinal flora by promoting the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria and inhibiting the growth of coliform bacteria ( p < 0.05). In conclusion, feeding incorporated diets with appropriate AMSL levels significantly increased growth performance, strengthened the immune system, improved antioxidative status, and regulated the intestinal microflora of quails, suggesting that AMSL has the potential to serve as a feed additive in the poultry industry.