Effects of Mealworm‐Based Synbiotics on Productive Performance, Egg Quality, Blood Metabolites, and Gut Health in Laying Japanese Quails

This study explored the potential of synbiotics, formulated by combining either <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> or a commercial probiotic (Parsilact) with 1% mealworm (<i>Tenebrio molitor,</i> MW) as a prebiotic, on the productive performance, egg quality, blood chemistry, organ weights, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota of laying quails. The study involved 192 22-week-old laying quails over 56 days. Productive performance parameters, including feed intake, egg production, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio, were not affected by the treatments (<i>p</i> > 0.05). In contrast, synbiotic supplementation significantly improved egg quality, with treated birds producing heavier eggs with a greater yolk proportion (<i>p</i> = 0.001 and <i>p</i> = 0.004, respectively). Blood analysis revealed higher phosphorus levels in birds fed synbiotic diets (<i>p</i> = 0.021) and lower triglyceride concentrations in the Parsilact group compared with the control (<i>p</i> = 0.001). Regardless of probiotic source, the inclusion of MW enhanced gut health by increasing cecal <i>Lactobacillus</i> counts (<i>p</i> = 0.001), while <i>Escherichia coli</i> remained unaffected. Overall, the findings indicate that incorporating MW into the diet, particularly in a synbiotic formulation, holds potential for enhancing egg quality and gut microbiota in laying quails without compromising overall performance.