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Thyme leaf powder (TLP) and tomato fruit powder (TFP) were used in this experiment to demonstrate their effect on the carcass and meat characteristic. A total number of 120 birds quail (Coturnix coturnix) males that lasted for 60 days. The birds were 55 days old randomly distributed in 4 treatments each containing 6 replicates and each containing 5 birds were feeding free and program lighting was used as continuously. The experiment was divided in 4 treatment; first treatment feed with basal diet (without use any additive), the second treatment: use 0.5% TLP and the third treatment: use 0.5% T'FP, forth treatment: 0.5% TLP + 0.5% TFP. The results of the experiment showed no significant differences (P<0.05) between the treatments when using thyme leaf powder and tomato fruit powder on the carcass characteristics such as live body weight (LBW), carcass weight (CW), dressing percentage (DP), breast weight percentage (BWP), thighs weight percentage (TWP). In meat characteristics, breast showed that significant differences (P<0.05) between the treatments on the water holding capacity (WHC), the edit treatment (TLP 0.5%, TFP 0.5%, TLP 0.5%+ TFP 0.5%) was better than control treatment. In thighs thawing loose was less than when use TLP 0.5% compared with control which is the grater in thawing loose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As mammals, birds exhibit two sleep phases, slow wave sleep (SWS) and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep characterized by presenting different electrophysiological patterns of brain activity. During SWS a high amplitude slow wave pattern in brain activity is observed. This activity is substituted by a low amplitude fast frequency pattern during REM sleep. Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is an animal model that has provided information related to different physiological mechanisms present in man. There are reports related to its electrophysiological brain activity, however the sleep characteristics that have been described are not. The objectives of this study is describing the sleep characteristics throughout the nychthemeral cycle of the common quail and consider this bird species as an avian model to analyze the regulatory mechanisms of sleep. Experiments were carried out in implanted exemplars of C. coturnix. Under general anesthesia induced by ether inhalation, stainless steel electrodes were placed to register brain activity from the anterior and posterior areas during 24 continuous hours throughout the sleep–wake cycle. Ocular and motor activities were visually monitored. Quail showed four electrophysiologically and behaviorally different states of vigilance: wakefulness (53.28%), drowsiness (14.27%), slow wave sleep (30.47%) and REM sleep (1.98%). The animals presented 202 REM sleep episodes throughout the nychthemeral cycle. Sleep distribution was polyphasic; however sleep amount was significantly greater during the period corresponding to the night. The number of nocturnal REM sleep episodes was significantly greater than that of diurnal one. Conclusion: The quail C. coturnix shows a polyphasic distribution of sleep; however the amount of this state of vigilance is significantly greater during the nocturnal period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The main goal of the study was to be determined some age linked ultrastructure features of the duodenum in specific bird species. The investigated are 20 birds from each -- Japanese and Wild quails. They were divided into four age groups (1st, 20th, 45th u 60th day of hatching; 5 birds in each age group). The materials for the electon microscopic study were obtained from the middle section of the duodenum. Onto the apical surface of the enterocytes of the duodenum with the one day old Japanese and Wild quails were determined evenly located and with similar height microvillies. They covered the apical surface of the enterocites and around the apical parts was seen glycocalyx. The height of the duodenal microvilli of the twenty days old Japanese quails was greater from those of the one day old. The 45 days old and 60 days old quails the microvilli, covering the apical surface of the enterocytes were evenly placed, but their height was continuously growing. The height of the duodenal microvilli of the one day old Japanese and Wild quails was equal. With the 20, 45 and 60 days old quails, the height of the microvilli of the Wild type were higher from the microvillies of the Japanese quails. We beleive the difference of the microvillies height of the duodenum with the Wild and the Japanese quail is due to the distinction in the nutritive habits and requirements of the investigated birds. The Wild quail is a bird, which is in a need of greater reabsorption mucosa of the small bowel and most likely is the reason the duodenal microvilli to be higher compare to the Japanese one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many species of game birds would become extinct in their natural habitat without periodical supplementation of wildlife populations with specimens bred on farms. Unfortunately either such birds do not exhibit any specific forms of behaviour which enable survival in natural environment or those forms are inappropriately developed. They include duration of tonic immobility (TI), which is often an anti-predator reaction. Pheasants, quails and partridges were subjected to assessment of the duration of TI and the number of inductions necessary to obtain TI on the 10th, 20th and 35th day of the birds' lives. In the pheasant and quail, both the frequency of inductions equal to 1 and the duration of TI increased with age. The quails were characterised by the shortest duration of TI and the highest frequency of number of inductions above 1. In the partridges, the average frequency of TI inductions equal to 1 was the highest (more than 70% in every analyzed day). Simultaneously, the average duration of TI was long. This may indicate that these birds may have a better defence mechanism when endangered by a predator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A common quail (Coturnix coturnix) from a private keeping died unexpectedly and showed a moderate lymphocytic infiltration of the colonic mucosa associated with numerous protozoa-like objects at the pathological examination. These organisms were further identified using chromogenic in situ hybridization (ISH) and gene sequencing. ISH was performed on paraffin embedded tissue sections and produced a positive signal using a probe specific for the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of the order Trichomonadida, but remained negative with probes specific for the 18S rRNA gene of the common bird parasites Histomonas meleagridis, Tetratrichomonas gallinarum or Trichomonas gallinae. The trichomonads were found on the mucosal surface, inside the crypts and also immigrating into the lamina propria mucosae. DNA was extracted from the paraffin embedded tissue and the entire 18S rRNA gene, ITS-1 region, 5.8S rRNA gene, ITS-2 region and a part of the 28S rRNA gene were sequenced using primer walking. The acquired sequence showed 95% homology with Tritrichomonas foetus, a trichomonad never described in birds. A phylogenetic analysis of a part of the 18S rRNA gene or of the ITS-1, 5.8S and ITS-2 region clearly placed this nucleotide sequence within the family of Tritrichomonadidae. Therefore, the authors propose the detection of a putative new Tritrichomonas sp. in the intestine of a common quail. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An ovalbumin gene was cloned from Chinese quail ( Coturnix coturnix) oviduct by RT-PCR and then inserted into the P. pastoris genome under the control of the methanol inducible 5′ alcohol oxidase (AOX) promoter. The recombinant P. pastoris strain was demonstrated to be able to efficiently secrete quail ovalbumin by ELISA analysis using a polyclonal antibody raised against quail ovalbumin. The results showed that induction by 0.75% methanol for 48 h led to the synthesis of secreted quail ovalbumin up to a yield of 5.45 g l. The recombinant ovalbumin was further purified into homogeneity through ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography and SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that, compared to natural ovalbumin, the recombinant ovalbumin could have been glycosylated to the similar extent by P. pastoris. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult males of the quail Coturnix coturnix were exposed to lead acetate trihydrate in drinking water (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1% for one-six months) to investigate histological and histochemical alterations induced by lead intoxication in the liver. Chronic exposure to subtoxic concentrations of lead produced changes in hepatocytes, portal veins, Kupffer cells, and blood sinusoids. Alterations in hepatocytes mainly involved cytoplasmic vacuolation, necrosis, cytolysis, and glycogen accumulation. Kupffer cell hyperplasia, hemosiderosis, blood sinusoidal dilatation, portal vein congestion, and edema were also observed. No fibrosis or cirrhosis in the liver of any member of the dose groups over the entire period of the study was noted. The findings revealed that chronic exposure to lead produced mild histological and histochemical changes in the liver of the quail Coturnix coturnix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the toxicity induced by sodium selenite in male quail through in vivo and in vitro studies and the role played by vitamin B12 in alleviating selenium toxicity. Administration of selenite orally for 1 month induced hepatic oxidative damage. Selenite decreased body weight gain and increased relative liver weight. Selenite reduced hemoglobin and iron concentrations and elevated total bilirubin concentration. Serum transaminases and alkaline phosphatase activities were increased in selenium-intoxicated quails. Total protein concentration was decreased associated with the appearance of prealbumin fraction, an increased γ-globulin and a decreased α- and β-globulins. The highest level of selenium was found in liver followed by kidney, testis, faeces and blood. Supplementation of vitamin B12 orally for 1 month simultaneously with selenite caused less marked biological alteration in the investigated parameters. In vitro study using isolated quail hepatocytes incubated with sodium selenite showed a dose-dependent response for toxicity markers. These results suggest that selenosis can be reduced by vitamin B12 supplementation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of hatching egg weight and length of egg storage period on hatchability and subsequent laying performance of quails. Eggs were collected from a quail flock (Coturnix coturnix Pharaoh) aged 17 weeks and classified into 4 groups on the basis of storage period 1, 3, 5, or 7 d. Prior to egg storage, the eggs in each group were further divided into egg weight treatment (small: <10.51 g; medium: 10.51-11.50 g; large: 11.51-12.50 g; and jumbo: >12.51 g). Hatchability of total and fertile eggs was affected significantly by hatching egg weight (P < 0.05) but was not affected significantly by the length of egg storage period. There was a decrease in egg production associated with increase in hatching egg weight. Egg production of quails hatched from stored eggs for 3 days was greater than the other groups. There was a significant interaction between hatching egg weight and length of egg storage for egg production. It was concluded that medium eggs can be hatched satisfactorily after 3 days storage for optimum egg production in quails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorpyriphos (13 mg/kg) was administered to quail (Coturnix coturnix), and the responses of brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and plasmacholinesterase (ChE) were studied. Both enzymes responded rapidly, and the maximal inhibition (76.6 and 80.1%, respectively) occurred 8 hpostadministration. Plasma ChE recovered rapidly, and even on day 4,ChE values of quail that had received chlorpyriphos were higher thanthose of controls. The recovery of brain AChE activity was slower than that of plasma; it reached 59% of controls 2 d after chlorpyriphosadministration, then it recovered slowly, and only at day 11 was itslevel not depressed with respect to controls. This recovery followedthe logarithmic pattern Y= a + b(log X), where Y is the AChE activity expressed as the percentage with respect to controls and X is the day after closing, giving a significant correlation (r = 0.9746, p< 0.001 when using group means and r = 0.9219, p < 0.001 when using individual values). No clinical signs or mortality were observed, and histopathological observations in the central nervous system (encephalytic reaction, necrotic Purkinje cells), liver (congestion, vacuolation), and kidney (congestion, nephrosis) were not severe and did not endanger the life of the quail. Sixteen hours after chlorpyriphos administration, some quail were treated with pralidoxime, which significantly reactivated brain AChE but not plasma ChE. However, this effect didnot last for the rest of the experiment; because no signs of toxicosis appeared, the experiment was not repeated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]