PRODUKTIVITAS, KARAKTERISTIK FISIKOKIMIA, MIKROBIOLOGI, DAN ORGANOLEPTIK TELUR PUYUH DENGAN PENAMBAHAN TEPUNG DAUN SENDUDUK DALAM PAKAN

Abstract

Puyuh merupakan ternak yang sangat produktif. Salah satu pembatas produktivitas puyuh di Indonesia adalah suhu lingkungan yang tinggi. Suhu yang tinggi menyebabkan puyuh mengalami stres panas. Stes panas menurunkan kualitas telur puyuh melalui peningkatan stres oksidatif sehingga diperlukan penambahan pakan alami yang memiliki aktivitas antioksidan. Tepung daun senduduk (TDS) telah terbukti meningkatkan produktivitas puyuh selama stres panas. Namun penggunaan taraf lebih tinggi, umur puyuh yang lebih tua, kualitas telur dan organoleptik masih jarang dibahas. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi pengaruh tepung daun senduduk terhadap produktivitas, karakteristik fisikokimia, kandungan gizi, mikrobiologi, dan organoleptik telur puyuh akibat penambahan tepung daun senduduk dalam pakan pada puyuh tua. Sebanyak 240 ekor puyuh betina fase post-peak production umur 58 minggu dialokasikan ke dalam empat perlakuan pakan yaitu TDS 0%, 2%, 4%, dan 6%. Puyuh dipeliharan dalam kandang koloni dengan kerapatan kandang 10 ekor per puyuh. Puyuh diberikan pakan 25 g-1 dan kolektif telur setiap paginya. Puyuh diperliharan selama 6 minggu dengan mengukur performa produksi, suhu lingkungan, dan THI. Setelah pemeliharaan, dilakukan uji kualitas telur yang terdiri atas uji fisik, uji kimia, uji cemaran mikrobiologi, dan uji organoleptik. Produktivitas, parameter fisikokimia, dan mikrobiologi dianalisis menggunakan analysis of variance (ANOVA) dilanjutkan dengan Uji Duncan. Karakterisitk organoleptik dianalisis menggunakan Uji Kruskal Wallis, dilanjutkan dengan Uji Mann-Whitney. Kandungan nutrien telur dan parameter kebersihan-kehalusan telur dianalisis secara deskriptif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penambahan TDS pada pakan sampai taraf 6% memberikan hasil yang baik dibandingkan kontrol (0%), 2%, dan 4%. Kadar MDA, kolesterol menurun, intensitas warna yolk, shape index, dan aktivitas air (aw) meningkat. Parameter produktivitas, uji fisik lainnya, pH, antioksidan, dan cemaran mikrobiologi sama antar perlakuan. Penambahan TDS sampai taraf 6% pada uji organoleptik tidak merubah persepsi konsumen terhadap telur yang dikonsumsi.

Quails are highly productive poultry species. However, one of the major constraints to quail production in Indonesia is high ambient temperature. Elevated environmental temperatures induce heat stress, which impairs egg quality by increasing oxidative stress. Therefore, dietary supplementation with natural feed additives possessing antioxidant properties is needed. Senduduk leaf meal (SLM) has been reported to improve quail productivity under heat stress. Nevertheless, studies investigating higher dietary inclusion levels, older laying quails, and the effects on egg quality and organoleptic characteristics remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with senduduk leaf meal on the productivity, physicochemical characteristics, nutritional composition, microbiological quality, and organoleptic properties of eggs produced by aged laying quails. A total of 240 female quails at 58 weeks of age during the post-peak production phase were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments containing 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% senduduk leaf meal (SLM). The birds were reared in colony cages at a stocking density of 10 quails per cage. Feed was provided at 25 g/bird/day, and eggs were collected every morning. The feeding trial was conducted for six weeks, during which productive performance, ambient temperature, and the temperature–humidity index (THI) were recorded. At the end of the experimental period, egg quality was evaluated through physical, chemical, microbiological, and organoleptic analyses. Productive performance, physicochemical characteristics, and microbiological parameters were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Duncan's multiple range test. Organoleptic characteristics were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test, followed by the Mann–Whitney U test. Egg nutrient composition and eggshell cleanliness and smoothness were evaluated descriptively. The results showed that dietary supplementation with SLM at inclusion levels of up to 6% produced better results than the control (0%), 2%, and 4% treatments. MDA and cholesterol levels decreased, whereas yolk color intensity, shape index, and water activity (aw) increased. Productivity parameters, other physical characteristics, pH, antioxidant activity, and microbial contamination did not differ among treatments. Dietary supplementation with TDS up to 6% did not alter consumers’ perception of the eggs based on the organoleptic evaluation.