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Effects of dietary taurine supplementation on growth performance and immune status in growing Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

F. R. Wang^*,, X. F. Dong, J. M. Tong^*,,1, X. M. Zhang^*,1, Q. Zhang and Y. Y. Wu

^* State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, and School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Jiangsu Wuxi 214122, China; and State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultral Science, Beijing 100193, China

¹ Corresponding authors: xmzhang168{at}hotmail.com and tjm606caas{at}yahoo.com.cn

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.

Key Words: taurine • quail • performance • immune