RATIONALE

The poultry industry is increasingly seeking natural and safe alternatives to dietary antibiotics due to
global restrictions and consumer preferences. Herbal-based growth promoters have gained popularity,
with Azolla pinnata emerging as a valuable addition to poultry feed. Azolla, an aquatic fern, is known for
its high protein content (21-30%) and has been successfully used in feeding broilers, quail, ducks, and
layers. It closely resembles traditional poultry feed in nutritional composition but offers higher protein
content and lower calcium content, making it a cost-effective protein source (Joysowal et al., 2018;
Mishra et al., 2016).

Previous studies have shown that incorporating Azolla into poultry diets can improve growth rates and
body weights, with comparable results to soya bean meal (Kumar et al., 2018). However, there is
controversy regarding the optimal inclusion levels of Azolla in poultry diets. Some studies suggest that
up to 15% Azolla meal can be safely incorporated into chicken diets, while others caution against high
levels of supplementation, recommending up to 10% for optimal performance (Abdelatty et al., 2021;
Alalade et al., 2007; Joysowal et al., 2018).

The previous study by M.H. Rabie and Hayam M.A. Abo El-Maaty (2015) focused on the effect of dietary
protein levels and enzyme supplementation on the growth performance of Japanese quail. Their findings
indicated that decreasing dietary protein levels led to reduced growth performance in quail, but the
addition of exogenous enzymes had a beneficial effect, particularly when quail were fed low-protein
diets. This study provides a foundation for further research into alternative protein sources, such as
Azolla leaf meal, and its potential effects on the growth performance of Japanese quail.

By investigating the effect of Azolla leaf meal on the growth performance of Japanese quail, this study
aims to contribute to the existing knowledge on sustainable protein sources for livestock feed. If Azolla
leaf meal is found to be a viable alternative to traditional protein sources, it could help reduce the
reliance on costly and environmentally damaging feed ingredients. Additionally, the study may provide
insights into the optimal inclusion levels of Azolla leaf meal in quail diets to maximize growth
performance and nutrient utilization.

Despite the potential benefits of Azolla, there is limited information available on its effects on growth
performance, faecal E. coli shedding, lipid peroxidation, immune response, and gut health in poultry.
Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of different levels of Azolla pinnata on these
parameters in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). By elucidating the impact of Azolla on various aspects
of quail health and performance, this study seeks to provide valuable insights that can inform the
development of cost-effective and sustainable poultry feed formulations.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of Azolla (Azolla filiculoides) leaf meal on the
growth performance of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Specifically, the study aims to:

1. Determine the production performance of Japanese quail fed with Azolla leaf meal, including:

a) Average gain in weight of the quail

2. Conduct a cost and return analysis to evaluate the economic viability of using Azolla leaf meal as a
feed ingredient for Japanese quail.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The research was conducted for a period of 120 days from March to May 2024 at San

Ildefonso, Bulacan.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Azolla pinnata: A species of aquatic fern known for its high protein content and potential as a feed
ingredient for poultry and livestock. (Joysowal, M., Aziz, A., Mondal, A., Singh, S., Boda, S., Chirwatkar,
B., & Chhaba, B. (2018))

Leaf Meal is the dried and ground product of young leafy alfalfa plants used as a supplement in feeding
livestock and poultry. (Meriam Webster)

Growth Performance the manner of quality of an organism's growth. (Collin’s Dictionary)

Japanese Quail also known as the coturnix quail, is a species of Old World quail found in East Asia. First
considered a subspecies of the common quail, it is now considered as a separate species. (Wikipedia)

Dietary proteins are the source of indispensable, dispensable and functional amino acids essential for
the synthesis of body proteins and the regulation of physiological processes. They also are beneficial in
alleviating lifestyle and/or age-related health problems (e.g. loss of muscle mass and strength,
obesity/sarcopenic obesity, dyslipidaemia, bone mineral loss and type-2 diabetes) because of their roles
in the promotion of muscle protein synthesis, satiation, optimisation of growth factors, inhibition of
inflammatory substances and regulation of major pathways of metabolism, though protein-quantity and
quality are major determinants of nutritional and disease-preventing effect. (Khetan Shevkani & Shivani
Chourasia)
Digestive enzyme supplements are products designed to mimic the effects of naturally occurring
digestive enzymes found within our bodies that aid in breaking down and absorbing food. (Barbara
Bolen, PhD (2021))

Nutrient use efficiency in its broadest sense indicates how effectively a plant is able to capture and
utilize nutrients to produce biomass. It is simply a measure of how well plants use the available mineral
nutrients. (Adesemoye AO, Torbert HA, Kloepper JW (2008))

Cost-effective producing good results without costing a lot of money (Meriam Webster)

Sustainable capable of being sustained (Meriam Webster)

Poultry feed is food for farm poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese and other domestic birds
(Wikipedia)

Fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 is often seasonal, with increased shedding during the summer, which
corresponds to an increased incidence of human disease (Hancock et al., 1994; Chapman et al., 1997).

Lipid peroxidation, or lipid oxidation, is a complex chemical process that leads to oxidative degradation
of lipids, resulting in the formation of peroxide and hydroperoxide derivatives. ( Izdebska, Joanna
(2016))

Immune Response is a physiological reaction which occurs within an organism in the context of
inflammation for the purpose of defending against exogenous factors. These include a wide variety of
different toxins, viruses, intra- and extracellular bacteria, protozoa, helminths, and fungi which could
cause serious problems to the health of the host organism if not cleared from the body. (Sompayrac,
Lauren (2019))

Gut health is a term increasingly used in the medical literature and by the food industry. It covers
multiple positive aspects of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as the effective digestion and absorption
of food, the absence of GI illness, normal and stable intestinal microbiota, effective immune status and a
state of well-being. (Stephan C Bischoff (2011))

Feed formulation is the process of quantifying the amounts of feed ingredients that need to be
combined to form a single uniform mixture (diet) for poultry that supplies all of their nutrient
requirements. Since feed accounts for 65-75% of total live production costs for most types of poultry
throughout the world, a simple mistake in diet formulation can be extremely expensive for a poultry
producer. (Poultry Hub Australia (2024))

REFERENCES:

M Joysowal, A Aziz, A Mondal, SM Singh, SS Boda, B Chirwatkar, B Chhaba Journal of Entomology and
Zoology Studies, 2018. (https://www.academia.edu/download/76963390/6-2-252-137.pdf)

M.H. Rabie and Hayam M.A. Abo El- Maaty, 2015. Growth Performance of Japanese Quail as Affected by
Dietary Protein Level and Enzyme Supplementation. Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances,
10: 74-85. (https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ajava.2015.74.85)

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leaf%20meal
(https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/growth-performance)

Japanese Quail (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_quail)

Shevkani, K., Chourasia, S. (2021). Dietary Proteins: Functions, Health Benefits and Healthy Aging. In:
Rattan, S.I.S., Kaur, G. (eds) Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity. Healthy Ageing and
Longevity, vol 14. Springer, Cham. (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83017-5_1)

Barbara Bolen, PhD. (2021). Can Digestive Enzyme Supplements Help Your Digestive Distress? Types and
Effectiveness of Over-the-Counter Supplements (https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-are-digestive-
enzyme-supplements-1945171#:~:text=Digestive%20enzyme%20supplements%20are%20products
%20designed%20to%20mimic,that%20aid%20in%20breaking%20down%20and%20absorbing%20food.)
Adesemoye AO, Torbert HA, Kloepper JW. Enhanced plant nutrient use efficiency with PGPR and
AMF in an integrated nutrient management system. Canadian Journal of Microbiology.
2008;886:876-886. (https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/W08-081)

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cost-effective

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sustainable

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_feed

Chapman et al. (1997) Chapman P, Siddons C, Cerdan Malo A, Harkins M. A 1-year study of Escherichia
coli O157 in cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry. Epidemiology and Infection. 1997;119:245–250.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/1year-study-of-
escherichia-coli-o157-in-cattle-sheep-pigs-and-poultry/C0FC9EAC9F35A406D4E2D118193BB7FA
Izdebska, Joanna (2016), "Aging and Degradation of Printed Materials", Printing on Polymers, Elsevier,
pp. 353–370.

Sompayrac, Lauren (2019). How the immune system works (Sixth ed.). Hoboken, NJ.

Bischoff, S.C. 'Gut health': a new objective in medicine?. BMC Med 9, 24 (2011).
https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-9-24

https://www.poultryhub.org/all-about-poultry/nutrition/feed-formulation