1. At the end of the peak laying period for fowl, both performance and egg quality decrease markedly. Counteracting either or both of these could, therefore, have significant positive economic implications. Quercetin, a typical representative of the flavonol compounds, has a variety of biological functions. However, there are no reported findings on its use as a feed additive. 2. In this study, we investigated the effects of quercetin on laying rate, egg quality and blood traits associated with egg quality in laying hens (Hessain) during the late laying period and explored the possibility of using quercetin as a functional feed additive. 3. The laying hens (n = 240; 39 weeks old) were randomly assigned to 4 treatments consisting of 6 replicates (n = 10) and were fed with diets containing quercetin at 0, 0.2, 0.4 or 0.6 g/kg. 4. Results showed that laying rate was increased and feed-egg ratio was decreased significantly by 0.2 and 0.4 g/kg quercetin. Compared with controls, Haugh unit, eggshell strength, eggshell thickness and yolk protein were increased, but yolk cholesterol was decreased by quercetin. 5. In conclusion, quercetin was beneficial in improving performance and egg quality. The recommended concentration of quercetin is 0.4 g/kg of the basal diet. At this concentration, increased laying rate, improved egg quality and reduced yolk cholesterol can be expected.
Wetting-drying cycles can influence decomposition of litter and soil organic carbon (SOC) and their mineralization, but such effects have seldom been explored in alpine wetland soils. We conducted a 120-day incubation experiment with alpine wetland soils to which we added litter or not. These soil samples were assigned to two constant moisture treatments (60% or 100% soil water-holding capacity, WHC) or to a wetting-drying treatment that cycled between 60% and 100% WHC. Drying-rewetting cycles significantly accelerated carbon (C) mineralization and nitrogen (N) immobilization compared to soil under saturated soil moisture conditions. Litter addition greatly increased C mineralization and N immobilization, but the intensity of mineralization was regulated by soil moisture through microbial biomass. A significantly negative relationship between C and N mineralization became more pronounced when litter was added. Thus, drying-rewetting cycles can alter C and N mineralization, and this effect can strongly depend on litter in alpine wetlands. This indicates that future climate change could affect C stocks in alpine wetland soil through altering moisture and litter production.
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