Proximate and mineral composition of Japanese quail egg and its possible role in bone healing

Abstract

Quail eggs are known to be highly nutritious. In the first study, the nutritional and mineral composition of quail eggs was evaluated by determining the proportion of moisture, total ash, lipids, nitrogen, crude protein and carbohydrate in the egg. The second phase was to determine the role of quail eggs in bone healing. Freshly laid Japanese quail eggs were purchased from a research institute in Plateau state, Nigeria. Five eggs were randomly selected and used for the evaluation of the nutritional and mineral composition of eggs. They were subjected to different methods to obtain the proximate and nutritive content. The moisture content in the egg was 65.5 %, total ash was 8.5 %, lipid was 1.5 %, nitrogen was 0.75 %, crude protein was 4.72 %, and carbohydrate was 19.78 %. For the mineral content, sodium was 42.5 mg, potassium was 80 mg, phosphorus was 6.49 mg, calcium was 0.9 mg, and magnesium was 1.3 mg. In the second study, 12 male New Zealand white rabbits with an average age of 7–8 months were used. They were separated into 2 groups comprising 6 rabbits per group. Rabbits in group A had a cylindrical trephine drill to create a 3.5 mm diameter defect on the lateral distal epicondyle of the left femur and were monitored for 12 weeks. Faster healing was observed in the group administered quail egg. At week 10, the radiographic score of the quail egg treated group [4(3-4)] was significantly (P < 0.05) higher compared to the control group with 2(2-3). At week 12, complete healing was observed in the quail egg group [4(4-4)]; this was different from the control group that had 2 rabbits yet to be healed. The study shows that Japanese quail egg is nutritious and rich in essential nutrients including calcium and phosphorus and as such it can serve as a nutritional supplement to enhance bone healing.