Effects of peripheral ghrelin on growth performance, selected blood biochemical parameters and thyroid hormone in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Abstract

The aim of present study was to investigate the effects of peripheral administration of ghrelin on performance andsome serum parameters of Japanese quail. One hundred twenty 21 day-old male Japanese quails were divided into three groups for a35 days experimental rearing period. The control group (G0) included no injection as an intact, the second group (treatment 1/G50)received 50 ng ghrelin/kg body weight (BW), and the third group (treatment 2/G100) was given 100 ng ghrelin/kg BW. Ghrelin wasadministrated (I. P. administration) at the onset of the experimental rearing period on 21-day old birds. Blood samples were taken attwo different times: 1) 12 hrs after the injection, and; 2) at the end of the rearing period (on day 35). The effects of ghrelin wereevaluated during experimental rearing periods. There were no changes in feed intake and body weight gain (BWG) following ghrelinadministration at different dosages (50 or 100 ng/ kg BW), whereas a minor decrease in feed intake was observed in G100 group. Feedconversion ratio (FCR) is significantly decreased in G50 and G100, compared to control (P