Effects Of Phytosterol Additives On The IGF-1and Adrenal Functions In Japanese Quail

My project was conducted on Japanese Quail to investigate the endocrinological effects of Phytosterol additive in the normal physiology, ACTH chronic challenge, cyclic chronic heat stress respectively. IGF-1and corticosterone level, cholesterol and MDA indicators are detected in these experiments.Results suggest that:1. From the14d age,100quail were gavaged with0,0.4,0.8,1.6mg emulsified phytosterol per day. After26d treatment, IGF-1significantly elevated in all phytosterol group (P<0.05).The FCR in male group tended to be increased by phytosterol (P>0.05). No effects were observed in basal corticosterone and MDA in serum (P>0.05). All phytosterol treaments substantially reduced the LDL-cholesterol level (P<0.05).2.40male and female quail fed with0,40,400,4000ppm phytosterol enriched feed for30d. All phytosterol treament substantially reduced the LDL-cholesterol level (P<0.05). And400ppm female group showed a significantly higher IGF-1level and corticosterone level in normal condition (P<0.05). Both male and female in400ppm group reached a significant higher corticosterone level than0ppm during the7-day ACTH stimulating (P<0.05). The steroidogenic cords width increased by400and4000ppm phytosterol (P<0.05). Accordingly400ppm female relative thymus weight was significantly lower that non-phytosterol group (P<0.05).400ppm phytosterol boosted the corticosterone genesis under the ACTH challenge (P<0.05).3. Two-way ANOVA showed, the chronic heat stress (8-hour per day,35-26℃) had no obvious effect on the MDA of Japanese Quails, neither did100ppm phytosterol. However, chronic cyclic heat stress had tendency to increase corticosteone level (P=0.059),100ppm phytosterol had no effect on the corticosterone level but there was a upward trend of IGF-1contributed by100ppm phytosterol (P=0.09).Overall, the effects of phytosterol to improve IGF-1coinside with its ability to reduce FCR, and corticosterone level boosted by certain dose phytosterol suggest its potential of being a adrenal enhancer or additive to improve lean meat ratio. The molecular mechanism of phytosterol boosting corticosterone need to be investigated in future.