The effect of using pomegranate peel powder and protexin probiotic on carcass traits, blood parameters, jejunal tissue morphology and intestinal microbial population of Japanese quails

To evaluate the effect of using pomegranate peel powder and protexin probiotic on carcass traits, blood parameters, jejunal tissue morphology and intestinal microbial population of Japanese quails, two hundred and forty-one days-old Japanese quails were divided as an experimental randomized design plan into the eight treatments with 3 replicates and 10 quails each. The treatments were basal diet basis corn and soybean meal with no any supplementation kept as control, and three 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 perctengae of pomegranate peels powder and two levels (0 and 0.1) percentage of diet of protexin probiotic respectively. At the age of 35 days, two quail pieces (male and female) were randomly selected from each replication and blood sampling were done to determine blood parameters. Mentioned quails were slaughtered to evaluate the carcass traits also and to determine the histomorphology of the intestinal tissue samples near Meckel's diverticulum from ileum were chosen and to determine the microbial population of the small intestine, fresh sample of the digestive contents of the ileum was taken. The results showed that the percentage of live weight and carcass weight increased significantly with the consumption of pomegranate peel powder and protexin (p <= 0.05). The live and carcass weight and relative organ weight of gizzard, heart and intestine increased, but the relative weight of the liver showed a significant decrease (p <= 0.05). Data also showed that the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in blood serum of quails were significantly reduced under the influence of pomegranate peel powder and protexin consumption (p <= 0.05). Intestinal evaluation of ileum showed that by consuming pomegranate peel powder and protexin, the population of Lactobacillus increased and the population of Escherichia coli decreased none significantly .Additionally the histomorphology evaluation of the intestinal jejunum tissue showed that the width, length, height of the intestinal villi and the mucosal muscle increased with the increase in the consumption of pomegranate peel powder and protexin probiotic, but no statistically significant difference was observed between the treatments. In general, the results showed beneficial effects of increasing levels of pomegranate peel powder up to 0.6 percentage level and protexin probiotic on carcass traits, blood parameters, jejunal tissue morphology and intestinal microbial population in quails.