The Potential of Red Propolis to Improve the Quality of Quail Eggs

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of dietary aqueous extract of red propolis (AERP) on the performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, and fecal microbiota of laying quails. A total of 120 52-day-old laying quails were randomly divided into four dietary treatments, each consisting of six replicates of 5 animals. The dietary treatments were a control basal diet and basal diets with of 1g of AERP, 2g of AERP, and 0.01g of enramycin per kg of feed for 63 days. Productive performance results such as percentage of egg production, feed intake per quail per day, average egg weight, egg mass, and feed conversion rate showed no significant difference between treatments. On the other hand, eggs from quails fed with red propolis showed darker yolk, higher intensity of red, and lower intensity of yellow (p<0.05); as well as lower pH in the yolk. Moreover, microbiological counts on the surface of eggs and feces from diets containing propolis were lower in comparison with other treatments. It is possible to conclude that 1 g of AERP showed promising results as a feed additive for laying quails, since it maintained the productive performance of these animals and caused qualitative enhancements in the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the eggs. Therefore, it could be used as a more natural way to improve quails’ egg production.

Keywords

• Antimicrobial
• antioxidant
• enramycin
• laying quails
• performance
• propolis