Effects of dietary chromium picolinate supplementation on egg production, egg quality and serum concentrations of insulin, corticosterone, and some metabolites of Japanese quails

The effect of chromium (chromium picolinate, CrPic) supplementation on egg production, egg quality and serum concentrations of insulin, corticosterone and some metabolites of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japanica) was e valuated. One hundred and fifty laying Japanese quails (45-d-old) were divi ded into five groups, 30 birds per group. The quails were fed either a cont rol diet containing 1285.96 mug chromium (Cr)/kg, of diet or the control di et supplemented with either 200 mug of Cr/kg, of diet, 400 mug of Cr/kg of diet, 800 mug of Cr/kg of diet or 1200 mug of Cr/kg of diet. Increased supp lemental chromium resulted in an increase in body weight (P = 0.05, linear) , feed intake (P = 0.05, linear), ego, production (P = 0.01, linear), and a lso improved feed efficiency (P = 0.01, linear). Increased supplemental chr omium decreased (P = 0.05, linear) egg shape index, whereas linearly increa sed egg weight (P = 0.01), eggshell weight (P = 0.01), eggshell thickness ( P = 0.01), albumen index (P = 0.01), albumen weight (P = 0.05), yolk index (P = 0.05),yolk weight (P = 0.01), and egg specific gravity (P = 0.05). Ser um insulin concentration linearly increased (P = 0.01), whereas corticoster one concentration linearly decreased (P = 0.05) as dietary chromium supplem entation increased. Serum glucose and cholesterol concentrations decreased (P = 0.01), while protein concentrations increased linearly (P = 0.001) wit h higher dietary chromium supplementation. The results of the present study show that chromium supplementation, particularly at 1200 ppb, increases th e performance, egg quality, and serum insulin concentrations of Japanese qu ails. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.