Does dietary ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale) supplementation improve the performance, intestinal morphology and microflora population, carcass traits and serum metabolites in Japanese quail?

The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of dietary ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale) supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology and microflora population, carcass traits, and serum metabolites in Japanese quail. Six diets containing 0, 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900 mg of ginger powder per kilogram of diet were formulated. Each diet was offered ad libitum to four replicate cages of quail (12 birds per cage) for 35 days. Performance, carcass characteristics, intestinal morphology and microflora population and blood biochemistry parameters were assessed on day 35. Body weight gain, feed conversion, intestinal microflora and carcass and breast weights were significantly improved in the ginger treated quail compared to control quail whereas feed intake, intestinal morphology, relative weights of liver, gizzard and heart were not significantly affected. In addition, concentrations of cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL in the serum were markedly reduced in quail supplemented with ginger powder compared to control quail at the end of the experimental period (day 35) while concentrations of HDL, glucose and total protein were not significantly changed. These results show that the addition of ginger improved the intestinal microflora, leading to more nutrients being assimilated and consequently increasing production performance in quail.