Uncovering the potential of enzyme and sodium butyrate in optimising sunflower meal diets for quail health and performance

This study investigated the effects of enzyme and/or sodium butyrate supplementation on the performance, eggshell quality, pancreatic enzyme activities, and jejunum histology of laying quails-fed diets containing sunflower meal (SFM). A total of 140 24-week-old quails were randomly allocated into five experimental groups with 14 replicates each. The treatment diets were: NC (negative control without SFM), PC (positive control with 25% SFM), PC+E (PC + 500 g/ton multi-enzyme), PC+B (PC + 1000 g/ton sodium butyrate), and PC+EB (PC + 500 g/ton multi-enzyme + 1000 g/ton sodium butyrate). As a result of this study, egg production was significantly higher in the PC, PC+E, and PC+EB groups compared to NC, while feed intake increased in PC but decreased with enzyme and/or sodium butyrate supplementation. Eggshell-breaking strength was highest in PC+B, whereas eggshell ratio and thickness increased across all groups compared to NC. Pancreatic lipase activity increased in PC+E and PC+B, but pancreatic amylase and protease activities decreased in all treatments compared to NC. Villus height and crypt depth improved with enzyme and/or sodium butyrate supplementation, with villus width and surface area significantly greater in PC+E and PC+EB. However, the villus height/crypt depth ratio decreased in all groups except PC+EB. In conclusion, diets containing 25% SFM did not impair performance or egg quality and improved eggshell thickness and ratio. Enzyme and/or sodium butyrate supplementation reduced feed intake enhanced pancreatic lipase activity, decreased amylase and protease activities, and improved jejunum histology, with sodium butyrate notably increasing eggshell-breaking strength. The Author(s), 2025.