Egg Yolk Lipids Change in Japanese Quail Given Tribulus Terrestris Extract

English. The objective of the current research was to study the change of yolk lipid fractions in the eggs of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) given different doses of the Bulgarian product Vemoherb T (dry extract from the herb Tribulus terrestris). A total of 52 female and 16 male Japanese quails of Pharaon breed, at the age of 44 days were randomly divided into four groups – control and 3 experimental (13 female and 4 male in each). All groups were fed ad libitum the same compound feed. Tribulus terrestris was added to the quails’ drinking water in the following daily doses: 4mg/kg body weight for a period of 10 weeks (Ist group)

10mg/kg body weight during the first fife weeks of the experiment (IInd group)

10mg/kg body weight for a period of 10 weeks (IIInd group). The following indices of egg yolk were determined at the end of the experiment: total lipids – by Bligh and Dyer (1959)

phospholipids – by Bartlett (1975)

total cholesterol content – by Shoenheimer-Sperry (1950) and fatty acid composition – using the “Perichromm” gas chromatograph. The content of total yolk lipids in IIIrd experimental was significantly higher compared to the other two treated groups (P < 0.05). However there were no significant differences concerning this parameter between control and experimental groups (P > 0.05). The values of total yolk phospholipids were unaffected by addition of different doses TT extract. There was statistically proven decrease of total cholesterol content in the yolk of all experimental groups relative to control group (P < 001 for Ist and IInd experimental groups and P < 0.001 for IIIrd experimental group). Third experimental group unlike the other groups had higher concentration of linoleic acid (P < 0.05).