Antioxidant Activity in the Blood and Testes of the Mottled Brown Male Japanese Quails at Different Age Groups

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the antioxidant activity in the blood and testes of mottled brown male Japanese quails at different physiological age groups. Fifty four mottled-brown male quail birds with average weight of 128.33±28.21g were randomly allotted to three age groups: pubertal (7 to 10 weeks old), mature (15 to 20 weeks old) and adult (above 24 weeks old). Eighteen birds were allocated per age group; each treatment had 3 replicates with 6 birds each. Blood sample was collected from all the birds and the birds were sacrificed, dissected, testes exiced and processed into testicular homogenate. Both serum and homogenate fluids were centrifuged separately to harvest the supernatants and analysed for the antioxidant indices. Statistical comparisons were made between the serum and testicular antioxidant indices. Result showed that the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidant capacity in the serum and testis were not significantly (p0.05) different among the age groups except for the glutathione peroxidase activity which was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the mature male quail compared to the adult and pubertal age groups. The result from this study suggests that the age difference in mature mottled brown male quails had improved glutathione peroxidase than other age groups, indicating an enhanced reproductive efficiency than pubertal and adult age groups in Japanese quails.

Key words: Reproductive potentials, Mottled brown male quail, Age groups, Antioxidant indices.