The Effects of Boron, Zinc and Their Combination with Cadmium on the Mineral Contents of the Tibia and Eggshell of Quails

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary boron, zinc and supplementation in combination with cadmium on the mineral concentrations of eggshell and bone in quails. One hundred and twenty, twenty-week-old female quails were randomly distributed among six equal diet groups. Diet I consisted of a control group and diet II contained 20 mg/kg cadmium; diet III contained 20 mg/kg cadmium and 60 mg/kg boron; diet IV contained 20 mg/kg cadmium and 50 mg/kg zinc; diet V contained 20 mg/kg cadmium, 30 mg/kg boron and 25 mg/kg zinc and diet VI contained 20 mg/kg cadmium, 60 mg/kg boron and 50 mg/kg zinc.

            The effect of mineral addition treatments on the manganese content of tibia and eggshells was not significant (P>0.05). The tibia cadmium content increased when animals were fed with diets III, IV, V and VI (P<0.05). The addition of boron (alone or combined) to the diets containing cadmium increased the boron concentration in the tibia. The tibia zinc concentration was the highest when quails were fed with diet IV (P<0.01). The addition of boron or zinc or their combination to diets containing cadmium decreased the concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium in the tibia. The cadmium content of eggshells was reduced when both boron and zinc were added to the diet (P<0.01).

            The results of the present study show that the supplementation of boron and zinc to diets containing cadmium decreased the cadmium accumulation in the bone and eggshells of quails.