CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF MUSCLE AFTER BEE BREAD APPLICATION IN THE NUTRITION OF JAPANESE QUAILS

The objective of study was to evaluate the effects of a diet supplemented with bee bread powder on the chemical composition of Japanese quail meat. A total of 80 one day-old quails were assigned to 4 treatments: 1. control (C), 2. experimental diet with bee bread (2 g.kg-1 of feed mixture (FM); E1), 3. experimental diet with bee bread (4 g.kg-1 of FM; E2) and 4. experimental diet with bee bread (6 g.kg-1 of FM; E3). The feeding period was 56 days. The supplementation with bee bread improved the protein content of the breast muscle at a dose of 4 a 6 g.kg-1 FM (25.16 and 25.25 g.100 g-1) versus C (24.55 g.100 g-1). In the thigh muscle, a slightly increased water content in E2 and E3 (70.34 and 70.22 g.100 g-1) compared to the C (69.38 g.100 g-1). Bee bread had a beneficial (P≥0.05) effect on the fat in the breast muscle (1.18 g.100 g-1 E1, 1.08 g.100 g-1 E2, 1.01 g.100 g-1 E3) in comparison to the control (1.21 g.100 g-1). The fat content in the thigh muscle increased (P≥0.05) in E1 (2.01 g.100 g-1), E2 (1.76 g.100 g-1), E3 (1.76 g.100 g-1) when compared to the C (1.30 g.100 g-1). Between male and female were observed differences only in the cholesterol content of the breast muscle of the C (female - 0.86 g.100 g-1, male - 0.72 g.100 g-1). Significant differences (P≤0.05) have be also found in the breast muscle in the female with respect to the water, protein, fat and cholesterol content when comparing the C and E2, E3. With respect to males we found differences (P≤0.05) in the protein content in the thigh muscle between E1:E3, E2:E3 and with respect to the fat content between the C and E2. We may state that bee bread powder at 4, respectively 6 g.kg-1 to the feed mixture could be a suitable supplement to the quail nutrition without a negative effect on the meat quality.