Effect of feeding palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids to Japanese quail hens (Coturnix coturnix japonica). 2. Maternal diets and stage of incubation on the lipid metabolism of quail embryos.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of diets containing 3% of either palmitic acid (Diet PA), oleic acid (Diet OA), or linoleic acid (Diet LA) and three stages of development (Days 11, 13, and 15 of incubation) on 1) weights of yolk plus yolk sac membrane (TY), yolk sac membrane (YSM), yolk, liver, and extrahepatic tissue (ET); and 2) the fatty acid composition of phospholipid, triglyceride, and cholesterol ester fractions of YSM and ET of quail embryos. Embryos from birds fed Diet LA had the highest (P less than .05) weights of TY and yolk followed by those from birds fed Diet OA and Diet PA. The weight of ET was highest (P less than .05) in embryos from birds fed Diet PA followed by those from birds fed Diet LA and Diet OA. The weights of YSM and liver were not affected by the maternal diet (P greater than .05). The weight of TY decreased whereas the weights of liver and ET increased as incubation progressed (P less than .05). The weight of YSM was maximum at Day 13 of incubation. In the phospholipid, triglyceride, and cholesterol ester fractions of both YSM and ET of embryos, the fatty acid present at the highest level, except palmitic acid, was the one added to the maternal diet. In phospholipids of both YSM and ET the oleic acid content decreased and linoleic acid increased as incubation progressed. In triglycerides and cholesterol esters of both YSM and ET, the levels of palmitic acid increased, but oleic and linoleic acids decreased, with advancing embryonic development. The results of the present study indicate that embryos from birds fed Diet PA mobilize more yolk material and produce heavier ET than embryos from birds fed Diet OA and Diet LA. The fatty acid profiles of phospholipid, triglyceride, and cholesterol esters of embryonic tissues are consistently influenced by dietary fatty acid and the stage of development.