Dietary ascorbic acid and betaine improve stress responses, testosterone levels and some sexual traits in male Japanese quails during the dry season

Abstract

The experiment investigated the effects of dietary ascorbic acid and betaine stress responses, serum testosterone levels, and some sexual traits in male Japanese quails during the dry season. A total of 240 male Japanese quails (14 days old) were used and randomly assigned to four groups, each group has three replicates (n = 20). Birds in treatment groups were fed ascorbic acid (AA); betaine (BET); and AA + BET in their diets, whereas the control birds were fed only basal diet. Environmental conditions were predominantly outside thermoneutral zone for Japanese quails. Dietary AA ± BET increased (p < .05) serum catalase, reduced glutathione and testosterone, but lowered (p < .05) cortisol levels when compared with control group. Supplemental AA, BET, or AA + BET enhanced (p < .05) cloacal gland size and sexual traits. In conclusion, dietary AA and BET improved stress responses, serum testosterone levels, and some sexual traits in male Japanese quails during the dry season.

Keywords

• antioxidants
• heat stress
• quails
• sexual traits