Effects of Dietary Fermented Black Garlic Powder Supplementation on Performance, Carcass Traits, Serum Parameters, Immune Response and Antioxidant Status of Japanese Male Quails

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with fermented black garlic powder on performance, carcass characteristics, serum parameters, immunological responses and antioxidant status in male Japanese quail. A total of 96 male Japanese quail aged 21-days, with similar initial body weights, were randomly allocated to four treatment groups with six replicates per treatment. The treatment diets were formulated by supplementing the basal diet with fermented black garlic powder at levels of 0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 g/kg. Quails were fed ad libitum for 28 days. The results showed that fermented black garlic powder did not affect any of the performance parameters (P > 0.05). No differences were observed in any of the carcass characteristics; however, the relative heart weight decreased following fermented black garlic powder supplementation (P<0.05). Serum aspartat aminotransferase, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, total antioxidant status, and total oxidant status were not affected by dietary supplementation with fermented black garlic powder (P>0.05). In contrast, serum glucose, triglyceride, and immunoglobulin E concentrations decreased with increasing levels of fermented black garlic powder in the diet (P<0.01), whereas immunoglobulin G concentrations increased (P<0.05). The serum levels of alanin aminotransferase were highest in the control group and lowest in the group supplemented with 10 g/kg fermented black garlic powder (P<0.05). Serum levels of high-density lipoprotein were lowest and highest in quails supplemented with 2.5 and 10 g/kg fermented black garlic powder, respectively (P<0.05). Increasing the dietary levels of fermented black garlic powder increased the serum levels of immunoglobulin A (P<0.05). In conclusion, the result of this study that fermented black garlic powder has potential as an immune-enhancing feed additive in poultry diets, without negative affects on performance or carcass traits.