Effect of anise seed (Pimpinella anisum L.) and protease alone or in combination on growth performance, carcase characteristics, humoral immunity, nutrients digestibility and cecal microbiota in Japanese quails

Figures & data

Table 1. Feed composition of Japanese quails.

Percent constituents	Starter phase (0–21 days)	Finisher phase (22–35 days)
Maize (yellow)	57	59
Soybean meal (48%)	38	28
Limestone	1.5	1.6
Dicalcium phosphate	1.6	1.7
Salt (NaCl)	0.3	0.3
DL-Methionine	0.16	0.11
Vitamins and minerals premixes	0.50	0.50
Chemical analysis
Protein (%)	22.0	21.0
Metabolisable energy (Kcal/kg)	2800	2900
Crude fibre (%)	3.0	3.5
Lysine (%)	1.3	1.3
Calcium (%)	0.95	0.85
Methionine + Cysteine (%)	0.12	0.08
Threonine (%)	0.9	0.6
Available Phosphorus (%)	0.45	0.45
Sodium (%)	0.02	0.02
Chloride (%)	0.04	0.04

Table 2. Effect of protease and anise powder individually or in combination on weekly and overall feed intake of Japanese quail.

Group	Weekly feed intake of quail (g)				Overall mean
	WK-2	WK-3	WK-4	WK-5
Anise powder	61.4 ± 0.29	81.4 ± 1.18	104.7 ± 0.46	132.3 ± 0.28	158.4 ± 0.70
Protease	60.7 ± 0.36	81.2 ± 0.59	102.8 ± 1.36	132.0 ± 0.23	157.2 ± 0.21
Anise powder + protease	61.1 ± 0.64	79.4 ± 1.01	103.1 ± 0.24	131.7 ± 0.10	156.8 ± 0.11
Control	59.3 ± 0.60	81.4 ± 1.15	102.8 ± 0.51	131.9 ± 0.10	156.7 ± 0.17
P-value	0.43	0.56	0.91	0.88	0.12
weight gain (g)
Anise powder	21.4 ± 0.43	36.4^b± 0.52	47.8^b± 0.39	51.1^b± 0.84	52.4^b± 0.45
Protease	22.5 ± 0.41	38.8^b± 0.41	49.3^ab± 0.42	52.2^b± 0.81	53.5^ab± 0.49
Anise powder + protease	22.8 ± 0.41	39.6^a± .48	52.3^a± 0.41	53.2^a± 0.43	54.8^a± 0.39
Control	22.4 ± 0.37	38.7^b± 0.39	50.3^ab± 0.41	52.1^b± 0.16	53.8^ab± 0.30
P-value	NS	0.04	0.03	0.04	0.02
feed conversion ratio
Anise powder	2.86 ± 0.04	2.23 ± 0.06	2.18 ± 0.02	2.58 ± 0.04	03.0 ± 0.02
Protease	2.69 ± 0.04	2.08 ± 0.02	2.08 ± 0.03	2.52 ± 0.04	2.93 ± 0.03
Anise powder + protease	2.67 ± 0.06	2.00 ± 0.04	1.97 ± 0.02	2.47 ± 0.01	2.86 ± 0.02
Control	2.64 ± 0.04	2.10 ± 0.02	2.04 ± 0.01	2.52 ± 0.03	2.91 ± 0.02
P-value	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS

Means with dissimilar superscripts in similar column significantly different at (P < 0.05).

Table 3. Effect of protease and anise powder individually or in combination on weekly and overall mean dressing percentage and mortality of Japanese quail.

	Dressing percentage	Mortality (%)
Anise powder	58.0 ± 0.32^b	1.25 ± 0.04
Protease	59.1 ± 0.24^a	1.35 ± 0.05
Anise powder + protease	59.6 ± 0.44^a	1.75 ± 0.02
Control	57.9 ± 0.51^b	1.50 ± 0.00
P-value	0.023	NS

Note: Mean values bearing different superscripts in a column differ significantly (P<0.05). NS: non-significant.

Table 4. Effect of anise powder and protease either alone or in combination on mean relative organ weight (%) of quails.

	Bursa	Spleen	Thymus	Heart	Gall bladder	Liver	Gizzard	Intestine
Anise powder	0.32 ± 0.04	0.31 ± 0.01	0.45 ± 0.05	1.4 ± 004	0.30 ± 0.01	4.2 ± 0.07	2.5 ± 0.01	8.09 ± 0.02
Protease	0.33 ± 0.01	0.32 ± 0.00	0.43 ± 0.03	1.4 ± 0.03	0.26 ± 0.00	3.7 ± 0.03	2.6 ± 0.05	8.03 ± 0.09
Anise powder + protease	0.27 ± 0.03	0.30 ± 0.02	0.46 ± 0.02	1.4 ± 0.09	0.28 ± 0.02	3.6 ± 0.01	2.6 ± 0.06	8.01 ± 0.03
Control	0.31 ± 0.02	0.31 ± 0.03	0.43 ± 0.01	1.4 ± 0.12	0.27 ± 0.03	3.5 ± 0.04	2.6 ± 0.08	8.06 ± 0.01
P-Value	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS

NS: Non-significant difference.

Table 5. Effect of protease and protease individually or in combination on antibody titre against different viral vaccination of Japanese quail.

Groups	Antibody titre against vaccination
	IB	IBD	ND
Anise powder	4.90^a± 0.94	4.99^a± 0.04	4.76^a± 0.36
Protease	4.88^a± 0.07	4.95^a± 0.02	4.99^a± 0.04
Anise powder + protease	4.95^a± 0.15	5.03^a± 0.03	4.89^a± 0.27
Control	4.20^b± 0.20	4.32^b± 0.03	4.15^b± 0.29
P-value	0.02	0.03	0.02

Means with dissimilar superscripts in similar column differ significantly at (P < 0.05).

IB: infectious bronchitis; IBD: infectious bursal disease; ND: New Castle disease.

Table 6. Effect of protease and anise powder individually or in combination on nutrients digestibility of Japanese quail.

Group	Digestibility coefficient (%)
	Dry matter	Crude protein	Ether extract	Crude fat	Nitrogen free extract	Ash
Anise powder	70.40 ± 1.3	68.08 ± 0.83	66.43 ± 0.79	64.86 ± 0.62	52.61 ± 0.29	28.26 ± 0.31
Protease	70.96 ± 1.57	69.82 ± 1.17	66.97 ± 1.13	64.83 ± 0.38	53.73 ± 1.30	28.19 ± 0.46
Anise powder + protease	71.25 ± 1.94	69.43 ± 1.21	67.51 ± 1.73	64.78 ± 0.68	53.75 ± 0.39	28.54 ± 0.10
Control	70.97 ± 1.68	69.61 ± 0.91	67.03 ± 0.87	65.11 ± 0.94	52.62 ± 0.70	28.058 ± 0.32
P-value	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS

Means with different superscripts in column differ significantly at (P < 0.05).

Table 7. Effect of protease and protease individually or in combination on AME and cecal microbiota of Japanese quail.

Group	Apparent metabolisable energy (AME) (MJ/kg)	Gut microbiota (log10 cfu/g)
		Lactobacillus	E. coli	Salmonella
Anise powder	13.4 ± 0.01	2.53^ab± 0.52	3.12^ab± 0.33	3.12^b± 0.32
Protease	13.5 ± 0.02	2.56^ab± 0.51	3.44^ab± 0.12	3.45^ab± 0.78
Anise powder + protease	13.8 ± 0.04	3.33^a± 1.2	2.75^b± 0.67	2.77^b± 0.47
Control	13.6 ± 0.03	1.23^b± 0.25	4.01^a± 0.02	4.17^a± 0.20
P-value	0.021	0.02	0.04	0.02

Means with different superscripts within a column differ significantly at (P < 0.05).