Effect of ginger-based zingibain enzyme on growth and intestinal health in Japanese quails

Abstract. This study investigates the effects of a ginger-derived phyto-protease enzyme on the growth performance, feed efficiency, carcass quality, intestinal histomorphology, and nutrient digestibility of Japanese quails fed an animal protein concentrate (APC)-based diet. A total of 400 day-old Japanese quail chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, including a control group (standard diet without phyto-protease) and three experimental groups with varying levels of ginger phyto-protease (0 %, 0.01 %, and 0.02 %) in their APC-based diets. Over a 42 d experimental period, significant (P<0.01) improvements were observed in feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), dressing percentage, and intestinal villus height and width in the groups supplemented with ginger phyto-protease, particularly at the 0.02 % inclusion level. Nutrient digestibility, especially for dry matter, crude protein, and fiber, was also significantly (P<0.01) enhanced in the supplemented groups. These findings suggest that the inclusion of ginger-derived phyto-protease at an optimal rate of 0.02 % in APC-based diets can significantly improve the overall performance and health of Japanese quails.