Using ginseng as a nutritional supplement in the quail diet and studying its effect on productive and physiological performance

Background: Ginseng Withania somnifera is an effective component in the manufacture of certain medicines because it contains the active substances panaxosides and ginsenoside, which are antioxidants and have a tendency to increase the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, as well as the presence of phenols, peptides, and acidic sugars. All of this enhances birds’ internal and physiological environment and thus increases productive performance. Aim: Evaluation of adding ginseng as a nutritional supplement instead of antibiotics as a nutritional means to improve the productive performance and physiological environment of quails. Methods: The research was conducted at the Technology Research Center/University of North Nineveh—Iraq. A total of 120 quails with an initial weight of 26 gm at 2 weeks old were randomly divided into four treatment groups, with three replicates for each treatment, and red ginseng root powder was added to the basal diet of birds with the following treatments: T2: 1.3, T3: 1.8, T4: 2.3%, T1: 0% (control group). All chicks were housed in cages, and measurements were taken for productive characteristics, and the physiological parameters were examined in the laboratory. Results: The statistical analysis›s findings were: There was a significant increase in weight gain, a significant improvement in feed conversion ratio, a significant dressing weight, and a decrease in abdominal fat percentage. Blood characteristics improved as cholesterol and triglycerides decreased significantly, whereas high-density lipoprotein, total blood protein, albumin, hemoglobin, platelets, and white blood cell counts increased significantly. Conclusion: Using ginseng as a diet (2.3 %) as a nutritional supplement improves bird productivity and blood parameters. Published by Eldaghayes Publisher.

Keywords: Ginseng, Carcass, Productive performance, Physiological performance, Quail..