Effects of dietary L-glutamine supplement on performance, characteristics of the carcase and intestinal morphometry in guinea fowl chickens (Numida meleagris)

Figures & data

Table 1. Ingredient and nutrient composition of experimental diets.

	0-30 days						30-60 days						60-90 days
Ingredients (%)	T1	T2	T3	T4	T5	T6	T1	T2	T3	T4	T5	T6	T1	T2	T3	T4	T5	T6
Corn	53	39	53	53	39	39	54.70	36	54.70	54.70	36	36	61	41	61	61	41	41
Soybean meal	40.10	39.50	40.10	40.10	39.50	39.50	37.35	35.60	37.35	37.35	35.60	35.60	32.11	30.20	32.11	32.11	30.20	30.20
Wheat	–	14	–	–	14	14	–	20	–	–	20	20	–	21	–	–	21	21
Vegetable oil	3.20	3.90	3.20	3.20	3.90	3.90	4.40	4.95	4.40	4.40	4.95	4.95	3.40	4.40	3.40	3.40	4.40	4.40
Sand	1	1	0.50	–	0.50	–	1	1	0.50	–	0.50	–	1	1	0.50	–	0.50	–
L-glutamine	–	–	0.50	1	0.50	1	–	–	0.50	1	0.50	1	–	–	0.50	1	0.50	1
Oyster shell	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.4
DCP	1.30	1.20	1.30	1.30	1.20	1.20	1.30	1.20	1.30	1.30	1.20	1.20	1.34	1.25	1.34	1.34	1.25	1.25
Salt	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20
Vitamin premix^1	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25
Mineral Premix^2	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25
DL-Methionine	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.10	0.10	0.10	0.10	0.10	0.10	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05
Lysine	0.10	0.10	0.10	0.10	0.10	0.10	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	–	–	–	–	–	–
Calculated nutrients
ME (kcal/kg)	2975	2995	2977	2980	2997	3000	3075	3070	3077	3080	3072	3075	3090	3102	3092	3095	3104	3105
Crude protein (%)	22.50	22.70	22.90	23.40	23.10	23.60	21.40	21.4	21.80	22.3	21.80	22.30	19.60	19.6	20	20.50	20	20.5
Ca (%)	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80
Available P (%)	0.45	0.45	0.45	0.45	0.45	0.45	0.42	0.42	0.42	0.42	0.42	0.42	0.42	0.42	0.42	0.42	0.42	0.42
Methionine (%)	0.50	0.50	0.50	0.50	0.50	0.50	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.30	0.30	0.30	0.30	0.30	0.30
Met + Cys (%)	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.70	0.70	0.70	0.70	0.70	0.70
Lysine (%)	1.25	1.25	1.25	1.25	1.25	1.25	1.20	1.20	1.20	1.20	1.20	1.20	1.10	1.10	1.10	1.10	1.10	1.10

DCP: di-calcium phosphate; ME: metabolisable energy; CP: crude protein; Available P: available phosphorous; Lys: lysine.

^a Vitamin premix provided the following per kilogram of supplement: trans-retinol, 3.33 mg; cholecalciferol, 60 g; dl-tocopheryl acetate, 60 mg; nicotinic acid, 30mg; cyanocobalamin, 0.015 mg; menadione, 4 mg; biotin, 0.15 mg;; folic acid, 1.0 mg; niacin, 30.0 mg; pantothenic acid, 25.0 mg; pyridoxine, 2.9 mg; riboflavin, 6.6 mg; thiamine, 1.18 mg.

^b Mineral premix supplied the following per kilogram of supplement: manganese oxide, 100 mg; FeSO4. 7H2O, 50 mg; zinc oxide, 100 mg; copper, 10 mg; I, 1.0 mg; Se, 0.2 mg.

Table 2. Amino acid composition (g/100 g of protein) for used wheat, corn and soybean meal.

	Ala	Arg	Asp	Cys	Glu	Gly	His	Ile	Leu	Lys	Met	Phe	Pro	Ser	Thr	Tyr	Val
wheat	3.1	5.1	5.6	3.5	32	4.4	2.8	3.4	5.3	3.3	1.7	4.5	4.3	5.3	6.1	4.1	4.1
Corn	3.5	7.7	12.5	1.5	11.5	5.1	4.2	5.1	5.1	9.2	2.9	8.1	2.4	5.5	5.1	4.2	3.5
Soybean meal	3.9	7.1	11.4	1.6	17.1	4.1	2.6	4.7	7.8	6.5	1.3	5.5	4.5	5	4.4	4	5.1

Table 3. Effect of dietary supplementation of L-glutamine on performance in guinea fowl chickens.

Treatments	Feed intake, g	Weight gain, g	Feed conversion ratio, g/g
T1 (control)	42.4^e	121.4^c	4.4^a
T2 (control + wheat)	44.2^d	137.4^b	3.9^bc
T3 (T1 + 0.5% Gln)	51.9^b	168.1^a	3.9^bc
T4 (T1 + 1% Gln)	53.9^a	168.7^a	4.1^b
T5 (T2 + 0.5% Gln)	50.1^c	170.5^a	3.8^c
T6 (T2 + 1% Gln)	54.3^a	156.9^a	4.3^a
p-Value	.001	.001	.001
SEM	0.31	1.35	0.57

SEM: standard error of means.

^a–cSignificant differences of each column (p < .05).

Table 4. Effect of dietary supplementation of L-glutamine on carcase characteristics in guinea fowl chickens (percentage of live weight).

Treatments	Live weight, g	Net carcase weight, g	Thigh, %	Breast, %	Liver, %	Gizzard, %	Heart, %	Wing, %
T1 (control)	754.2^c	550^c	18.6^b	16.4^d	1.79^a	2.4^a	0.52^a	9.1^c
T2 (control + wheat)	850.1^b	635.5^b	18.7^b	17.5^cd	1.52^b	2.4^a	0.47^b	10.2^ab
T3 (T1 + 0.5% Gln)	1036.5^a	787.6^a	20^a	18.3^c	1.40^b	1.7^c	0.41^bc	9.7^b
T4 (T1 + 1% Gln)	1035.2^a	789.2^a	20.6^a	18.8^ab	1.55^b	2.2^b	0.40^c	9.7^b
T5 (T2 + 0.5% Gln)	1048.6^a	810.9^a	21.2^a	19.7^a	1.55^b	2^bc	0.41^bc	9.5^bc
T6 (T2 + 1% Gln)	967.2^a	754.4^a	21.2^a	19.1^b	1.46^b	2^bc	0.44^bc	10.5^a
p-Value	.0001	.0001	.0003	.0002	.0002	.0001	.0001	.0002
SEM	26.13	23.38	0.40	0.39	0.05	0.01	0.10	0.01

SEM: standard error of means.

^a,cShow significant differences each column (p < .05).

Figure 1. Morphological images from three parts of the small intestine in guinea fowl chickens (comparison of treatment 1 with complementary treatments). (a) Treatment 1 duodenum, (b) treatment 6 duodenum, (c) treatment 1 jejunum, (d) treatment 5 jejunum, (e) treatment 1 ileum and (f) treatment 5 ileum.

Table 5. Effect of dietary supplementation of L-glutamine on small intestinal morphology in guinea fowl chickens.

Treatments	Villi length, μm	Villi width, μm	Crypt depth, μm	Villi length, μm	Villi width, μm	Crypt depth, μm	Villi length, μm	Villi width, μm	Crypt depth, μm
	Duodenum			Jejunum			Ileum
T1 (control)	410.8^b	84.3	84.2^b	687.5^b	79.7^b	70.3^b	493.7^b	87.8^b	68.2^b
T2 (control + wheat)	487.3^b	90.6	90.5^b	779.6^ab	78.1^b	81.3^b	523.4^b	86.2^b	63.3^b
T3 (T1 + 0.5% Gln)	742.8^a	93.7	74.8^b	866.3^a	105.5^a	112.2^a	670.3^a	118.7^a	136.8^a
T4 (T1 + 1% Gln)	766.2^a	93.1	81^b	811.3^ab	81.2^b	73.4^b	690.6^a	112.4^a	128.1^a
T5 (T2 + 0.5% Gln)	720.9^a	93.7	90.5^b	881.2^a	107.8^a	114.6^a	678.1^a	116.6^a	122.5^a
T6 (T2 + 1% Gln)	733.3^a	95.6	121.2^a	795.5^ab	95^ab	87.5^b	601.5^ab	96.8^b	65.6^b
p-Value	.0001	.07	.009	.03	.001	.001	.01	.0001	.0001
SEM	45.91	2.52	7.86	40.2	4.69	6.57	38.64	3.89	7.42

SEM: standard error of means.

^a–dShow significant differences of each column (p < .05).