The effects of in ovo injection of purslan extract levels on reproductive and blood parameters in Japanese quail

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intra-egg injection of purslane extract levels on reproductive and blood parameters in Japanese quail. 600 Japanese quail eggs were used in 5 treatments, 4 replicates and 30 eggs per observation. Treatments were: non-injection, normal saline injection and injection of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3% of purslane extract into the air sac of eggs immediately before incubation. At the end of the incubation period, reproductive indices were assessed. Hatched chickens were reared and blood sampling was done at 35th day of breeding, and slaughter of birds was done at 58th day for evaluation the morphometric characteristics of genitalia. The highest hatching percentage and the lowest embryonic mortality rate were observed in the non-injected and normal saline groups (p<0.05). Embryo growth rate, age of embryonic death, and sera metabolite concentrations were not affected by the treatments. Serum estrogen concentration in female quail was not affected by treatments (p<0.05). The highest level of serum testosterone was observed in 0.2% of purslane extract (p<0.05). 0.1% purslane extract significantly increased the percentage of both testis weight compared to control group (p<0.05). The highest length of left testis was belong to 0.2% purslane extract (p<0.05). The diameter of largest ovarian follicle was higher in treatments of 0.2 and 0.3% of purslane extract than control (p<0.05). In general, due to adverse effect of experimental treatments on hatchability and embryonic viability rates, injection of purslane extract into Japanese quail egg sac is not recommended to improve reproductive performance.