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. 2025 Jan 17:62:2025003.
doi: 10.2141/jpsa.2025003. eCollection 2025.

Effect of Replacing Inorganic Copper, Zinc, and Selenium with Chelated Minerals on Productive Performance, Nutrient Utilization, Tibia Morphology, and Intestinal Histology of Growing Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)

Carlos A Gaona Rodríguez  1 , Hugo Bernal Barragán  1 , Nydia C Vásquez Aguilar  1 , Adriana Morales Trejo  2 , Miguel Cervantes Ramírez  2 , Cecilia Ramírez Hernández  3 , Humberto González Rodríguez  4 , Emilio Olivares Sáenz  1 , Jesús J Hernández Escareño  3
Affiliations

Effect of Replacing Inorganic Copper, Zinc, and Selenium with Chelated Minerals on Productive Performance, Nutrient Utilization, Tibia Morphology, and Intestinal Histology of Growing Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)

Carlos A Gaona Rodríguez et al. J Poult Sci. .

Abstract

This study evaluated the impact of replacing inorganic mineral sources of Cu, Zn, and Se with chelated organic minerals (OM) on performance, nutrient and mineral utilization rates, and intestinal morphometry in growing Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica). A total of 150 nine-day-old quails were randomly assigned to receive one of the following diets over 4 weeks: CTRL (100% inorganic minerals), OM33 (replacement of 33% inorganic minerals), OM67 (replacement of 67% inorganic minerals), and OM100 (100% organic minerals). Quails fed the OM67 diet exhibited higher (P < 0.05) viability, daily weight gain, and live weight than the other groups, with no significant difference in feed intake or feed efficiency across treatments. The utilization rates of Cu and Fe were lower in the OM33 group. The CTRL group presented the lowest tibial weight (P < 0.05). Growing quails fed the OM67 diet contained the highest intestinal villi in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. In conclusion, the partial replacement (up to 67%) of inorganic mineral with OM in the diet of growing quails can enhance their productive performance and intestinal histological traits.

Keywords: chelated minerals; growth performance; histology; quail; viability..

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Cross-sectional view of the duodenum in growing quails, stained with hematoxylin and eosin.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Viability of growing quails, whose inorganic Cu, Zn, and Se in feed was replaced by four different percentages (0%, 33%, 67%, and 100%) of chelated mineral sources. Superscript letters indicate statistically significant differences (P ≤ 0.05).
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Photomicrographs showing villus height in each section of the small intestine of growing Japanese quails. Magnification 10×, stained with hematoxylin and eosin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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