Performance and meat quality characteristics of male quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) fed diets supplemented with pomegranate seed oil

Aim of study: Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) is a nutritive, antioxidant-rich by-product, and it has been tested as a feed ingredient for livestock. However, studies on quails are scarce. The current study investigated that the effect of PSO on the performance and meat instrumental quality of quails. Area of study: Türkiye. Material and methods: A total of 60 seventy-day-old male quails were equally subjected to 3 dietary treatments consisting of 20 birds (5 replicates with 4 birds each). The quails were fed a diet supplemented with 0, 100, and 200 mg kg-1 pomegranate seed oil (PSO). After 10 weeks, two birds per subgroup were randomly selected and slaughtered. Main results: Supplementation of PSO reduced (p<0.05) feed intake and body weight gain linearly. However, there was no significant effect of PSO on carcass traits. For color parameters, the L* and b* values of breast and thigh meat increased with the addition of PSO to the diet (p<0.05). Cooking losses were highest in the thigh of quails fed 200 mg kg-1 PSO. On the other hand, in the breast, the lowest values for this parameter were observed in the groups that had received 100 mg kg-1 of PSO. Research highlights: Including 100 mg kg-1 of PSO can improve some meat quality characteristics without affecting performance parameters. There is a possibility that meat quality could be negatively affected by values higher than this. Nevertheless, further research is needed to determine the optimal dose of PSO to improve quail meat quality and its performance.