Effects of different levels of dietary zinc supplementation on the testis parameters of the Japanese quail males

Abstract

This study was conducted in poultry farm of Agriculture College, University of Anbar, Iraq to assess the effects of different levels of zinc as dietary supplementation in volume density and relative weight of Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica testis contents. Sixty males of 35 day-olds were used in this study. Quails distributed randomly in four treatments and three replicates, each including 5 males. Birds fed balanced diets contain four levels of metal zinc as: T1: control diet without any addition of zinc; T2: diet by adding 25 mg kg-1; T3: 50 mg kg-1; and T4: 75 mg kg-1. Males were slaughtered at 147th day-old then testes weight, testes relative weight, seminiferous tubules, interstitial cells volume density and relative weights (mg g-1) as well as diameters of seminiferous tubules were measured. Results exhibited no significant differences in testis weight and relative weights in all treatments compared to control group. Significant elevation (p < 0.0001) in volume density of spermatogonia was observed in T3 and T4. Significant differences (p < 0.0001) was found in volume density of spermatocytes in all treatments. There was also significant increasing (p < 0.1433) in total sperm contents in T4. Data refers to significant rise (p < 0.0024) in relative weight of spermatogonia in T3, and also significant elevation (p < 0.0453) in volume density of spermatocytes in T3 and T4.

Keywords

• zinc
• japanese quail
• testis tissues