Japanese quail selected for reduced (low-stress, LS) rather than exaggerated (high-stress, HS) plasma corticosterone response to brief restraint have consistently shown greater cloacal gland (CG) development, an androgen-dependent trait. In this study, the effects of testosterone implants on levels of plasma testosterone and CG development in castrated LS and HS quail were determined. Stress-li...

PURPOSE To investigate carotenoid content in the retina of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), for comparison with carotenoids in human retina, and to assess the effects of different saponification procedures on the recovery of quail retinal carotenoids. METHODS Extracted retinal carotenoids were saponified with methods adapted from recent studies, then identified and quantified with reverse-...

Our aim was to examine changes in heart rate (fh) during the embryonic and posthatching periods of the smallest precocial avian species, Coturnix chinensis. In experiment I, repeated measurements of mean fh were made for individual quail by ballistocardiogram (BCG) during incubation, and by both piezo-electric film and electrocardiogram (ECG) during the posthatching period (resting and thermone...

Developmental biology research has used various avian species as model organisms for studying morphogenesis, with the chick embryo being used by the majority of groups. The focus on the chick embryo led Hamburger and Hamilton to develop their definitive staging series nearly 60 years ago and this series is still the mainstay of all laboratories working with avian embryos. The focus on the chick...

The quality of Pharaoh quail eggs obtained at 8, 13, 18 and 23 weeks of age was evaluated. Eggs laid by the oldest quail were characterized by the greatest weight (12.2 g), length (32.6 mm), width (25.8 mm) and shell surface area (25.3 cm2). The lowest shell weight was found in eggs from the youngest quail (0.9 g), and the lowest shell proportion (8.2%) was characteristic of eggs from the oldes...

In previous experiments, we have demonstrated that limb buds engrafted during embryonic life at E4, between MHC-mismatched chick embryos, are not only tolerated after birth, but induce in the recipient a state of split tolerance toward cells expressing the donor MHC haplotype: donor's skin grafts are permanently tolerated while a proliferative response of host's T cells is generated in MLR by d...

This work evaluated the effect of sun-dried tomato waste (SDTP) on growth, carcasses, digestibility nutrients, digestive enzymes, blood chemistry and intestinal microbiota 250 one-week-old growing Japanese quail. The birds were randomly distributed into 5 equal groups. Group 1 was fed basal diet (BD) (control), Groups 2, 3, 4 BD containing 6, 9 12% SDTP respectively. significantly improved body...

Adult Japanese quail display left-eye/right-hemisphere dominance in visually guided sexual tracking. In 2 experiments, the authors set out to answer if this functional cerebral asymmetry is modifiable by posthatch monocular deprivation. In Experiment 1, the left or the right eye of 2-day old quail were closed for 70 days. Quail were run in a left- or a right-turning runway to obtain access to a...

Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying differences in beak morphology likely involve interactions among multiple embryonic populations. We exchanged neural crest cells destined to participate in beak morphogenesis between two anatomically distinct species. Quail neural crest cells produced quail beaks in duck hosts and duck neural crest produced duck bills in quail hosts. These transforma...

BACKGROUND Quail eggs as a food item have recently been introduced into the diet of some Cameroonians. These eggs are being sold in local markets, but with many unfounded health claims. One claim is that quail eggs can reduce blood glucose levels in diabetics. It was therefore necessary to evaluate the effect of consuming quail eggs on blood glucose levels, lipid profiles, and oxidative stress ...