The objective of this work was to assess the effect of spice's bixin and supplementary niacin on diets in the plasmatic levels of triglyceride and very low-density lipoprotein, and in the fat of breast, drumstick and thigh meat and carcass of japanese quails (Coturnix japonica). Two hundred and forty japanese male quails were used in a completely randomized design, with four treatments, five replicates and 12 quails per experimental unit. The treatments were: reference diet with corn and soybean meal, without spice or supplementary niacin; diet with 4.5% spice; diet with 0.08% supplementary niacin and diet with 4.5% spice and 0.08% supplementary niacin. The treatments had no effect upon triglyceride and very low-density lipoprotein levels in plasma, as well as on ether extract contents in the drumstick and thigh meat and carcass of the quails. On the 49th day of age, quails that received rations with 0.08% supplementary niacin had higher fat contents in the breast meat (1.50%) than quails fed with reference ration (0.85%). The addition of spice's bixin and supplementary niacin to the rations do not reduce the fat levels in plasma, meat and carcass of japanese male quails.
Coturnix japonica; carcass; fat; lipoproteins; spice
