Investigation on the nutritive value and microbiological quality of wild quail carcasses

Quail meats have many advantages and superiority one the other species of p oultry. This study was planed to throw plenty of light on gross chemical co mposition, lipid fractions, fatty acids composition, amino acids compositio n, of thigh and breast of male and female wild quail meat as well as the mi crobiological quality. The mean values of moisture, protein, fat, ash and e nergy contents ranged from 60.1 to 69.2%, 55.0 to 68.8%, 28.8 to 42.1%, 2.4 0 to 3.63% and 696 to 1000 kJ, respectively. Seven fractions of lipids (pho spholipids, monoglycerides, cholesterol, diglycerides, free fatty acids, tr iglycerides and hydrocarbons) were estimated. The individual fatty acids we re determined. The mean total unsaturated fatty acids represented 73.9, 66. 8, 60.2 and 67.5% of the total fatty acids in thigh male, breast male. thig h female and breast female quail, while that of saturated fatty acids were 25.1, 30.1, 32.0 and 30.4%, respectively. The essential fatty acids in thig h and breast males were 34.8 and 29.0% against 25.7 and 28.1% in females. A mino acids composition were varied from 82.6 to 95.2 g/100 g protein in thi gh, breast of male and female wild quails. The essential amino acids were i llustrated. The mean values of psychrotrophic, Pseudomonas, Enterobacteriac eae, coliforms, Streptococci and Staph. aureus were 4 x 10(4), 1 x 10(2), 4 x 10(3), 3 x 10(3), 6 x 10(2) and 1 x 10(3) cfu/g, respectively. E. coli, Enterobacter agglumerans, E. cloacae, Morganella morgani, Proteus mirabilis , and P. vulgaris could be isolated in varying percentages. Neither Salmone llae nor Clostridium perfringens could be isolated from the examined quails . The public health aspects for the estimated and isolated criteria were ou tlined.