Histopathological Evaluation of the Digestive and Reproductive Organs in Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) Fed a Total Maize Replacement Diet Supplemented with Turmeric and Garlic

Abstract

Maize has long been the primary source of energy in compounded poultry diets. However, in Nigeria, insufficient maize production has significantly increased the cost of poultry feed. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of determining the influence of fortifying the complete replacement of maize by sorghum with garlic and turmeric on histology of liver, gizzard, intestine and testis of quail. The field study was carried out at the Poultry Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm, University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. A total of 96 quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) aged seven weeks were used. They were allocated to 16 dietary treatments comprising Maize (positive control, Ma), Sorghum (T1) and fortification of garlic and turmeric at 3 and 5 levels (0, 0.50 and 1% garlic and 0, 0.25. 0.50, 0.75 and 1%) respectively in a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement. Histological examinations of gizzard, intestine, liver and testis in growing Japanese quails fed turmeric-garlic supplemented sorghum diets revealed normal architectural pattern of the gizzard tissue structure. There were no noticeable abnormalities, pathology or distortion among treatments when compared to control. However, T9 birds fed sorghum supplemented with 0.50 percent garlic and 0.75 percent turmeric had congested blood present in their gizzard tissues. Normal histological patterns were noticed in the intestinal and liver tissues of birds on the control and other diets showing normal histological structures, illustrating well-defined hepatocytes and central portal veins. Birds fed Treatments 9 and 11 however, showed congested blood in their central veins. Testes tissues were normal without any pathology or visible distortion across all treatments. Sorghum showed the potential of replacing the conventional maize in the diet of quails. Moreover, the fortification of the sorghum diets did not elicit any adverse effects of toxicity to the tissues therefore indicating that the phytobiotics (garlic and turmeric) could be utilized in quail diets.