title: Effects of dietary taurine supplementation on growth performance and immune status in growing Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).
abstract: The effect of dietary taurine was investigated on performance and immune responses in growing (1 to 42 d) Japanese quail. One-day-old quails of both sexes (300) were randomly allotted to 12 groups with 25 quails in each group (3 dietary treatments, 4 replicates). They were fed with maize-soybean meal-based diets containing 0, 0.01, or 0.05% taurine for 42 d. Dietary 0.01% taurine decreased food intake (P < 0.05) in the starter phase but did not affect BW gain and feed efficiency from d 1 to 42 of age. In the starter phase, dietary 0.05% taurine did not affect food intake but increased weight gain and improved feed efficiency (P < 0.05). In the grower phase, dietary 0.05% taurine did not affect weight gain but improved feed efficiency and decreased food intake (P < 0.05). In the overall period, dietary 0.05% taurine improved feed efficiency and decreased food intake (P < 0.05). The relative weights of thymus were greater in the quails given 0.01% taurine in diet (P < 0.05). The relative weights of the bursa of Fabricius and thymus were greater in dietary 0.05% taurine compared with the control (P < 0.05).The quail serum anti-Newcastle disease virus hemagglutination antibody titer in the taurine-supplemented diet had no significant effects compared with the control (P > 0.05). The response to phytohemagglutinin measured as the foot web index was significantly increased by 0.05% taurine supplementation (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the taurine-supplemented diet has a beneficial effect on immune responses and performance in growing Japanese quail.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, and School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Jiangsu Wuxi 214122, China.
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X F
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D003370:Coturnix / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D013654:Taurine