الفهرس 
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Abstract
Addition of natural antioxidants to poultry diets is one of dietary strategies to improve performance, egg and meat production in poultry industry due to its use in prevention of lipid peroxidation which is considered to be a serious problem in egg and meat production due to its noxious influences on odor, taste and nutritional profile of meat and also on sensory properties of eggs. It had been used as substitutents for synthetic antioxidants due to toxic and carcinogenic effects of these synthetic antioxidants, while natural antioxidants are generally regarded as safe.
R.O. is one of the natural antioxidants which had been recognized as an oil with the highest antioxidant activity.It acts as antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer substance.Also, it is used as a food preservative.
This study was carried out on 100 male Japanese quails, classified into four groups with each group contained 25 bird.
group I (control group):
The quails were fed basal diet and water ad libitum until the end of experiment.
group II:
The quails were fed diet supplemented by rosemary oil (R.O.) (60 mg/kg of diet) until the end of the experiment.
group III:
The quails were fed diet supplemented by rosemary oil (R.O.)
(100 mg/kg of diet) until the end of the experiment.
group IV:
The quails were fed diet supplemented by R.O. (140 mg/kg of diet) until the end of experiment.
Results of the present study revealed the following:
• Reduced glutathione concentration was significantly increased in all R.O. treated groups either after the 3rd or the 4th week when compared with control, also between the same group at different periods (p<0.05).
• Total Antioxidant capacity level was significantly increased in all R.O. treated groups either after the 4th week only compared with control (p<0.05) with the highest increase when using dose of (60 mg of R.O./kg of diet, also was significantly increased within the same group at different periods (p< 0.05).
• Activity of catalase enzyme was significantly increased in all R.O. supplemented groups when compared with control (p<0.05) after the 3rd and 4th week with special reference to group received 60 mg of RO/kg diet that showed prominent increase among groups, also CAT activity was increased within the same group in the 2 periods (p<0.05).
• SOD activity was significantly increased in all R.O. treated groups compared with control (p<0.05) after the 4th week. SOD activity was significantly increased in the 1st R.O. treated group compared with control one (p<0.05). However, our results showed that SOD enzyme activity was significantly decreased in control group after the 4th week as compared to that after the 3rd week from the start of experiment.
• Glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity (GPx) was significantly increased in the 1st R.O. treated group (dose of 60 mg of R.O. /kg of diet) when compared with control (p<0.05) or using the dose of (60 mg of R.O. /kg of diet) which induced a significant increase of GPx activity at both periods when compared with control (p<0.05). While using other supplemented doses had no significant effect on GPx activity. However, there was no significant difference in GPx enzyme activity within the same group at different periods (p<0.05).
• Glutathione reductase (GR) activity was significantly decreased in all R.O. supplemented groups when compared with control group (p<0.05). Besides, there was no significant increase of GR activity within the same group at different periods (p<0.05).
• A significant increase of glutathione-s-transferase enzyme activity (GST) in birds supplemented with (60 mg/kg) after the 4th week only when compared with control (p<0.05). Also, GST activity was significantly increased in R.O. treated group (60 mg/kg diet) after the 4th week when compared to that after the 3rd week (p<0.05)
• HI antibody titer was significantly decreased in the 1st and the 2nd R.O. treated groups when compared with control group after vaccination with Lasota vaccine (p<0.05). While, after vaccination with poster dose, after the 2nd week, there was no significant difference in HI antibody titer between groups (p<0.05). Nevertheless, HI antibody titer in the 1st and the 2nd R.O. supplemented groups was significantly increased after poster dose as compared to the 1st dose (p<0.05).