Comprehensive Assessment of Silver Bioaccumulation and DNA Damage Effects in Coturnix coturnix japonica Using Blood, Feather, and Egg Biomarkers

Abstract This study examined the effects of Ag-NPs and AgNO₃ on silver accumulation in the blood, feathers, eggshells, and egg contents of Japanese quails, as well as their potential to cause DNA damage. A total of 480 (fourteen-day-old) quails were divided into five groups of 96 birds each, arranged into six replicates of sixteen birds with a sex ratio of one male to three females. The first group served as a control and was fed a basal diet, while the second and third groups received Ag-NPs at doses of 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, respectively. The fourth and fifth groups were given AgNO₃ at the same concentrations. Results showed that the highest silver accumulation occurred in all tissues in quails fed the higher dose of Ag-NPs. The greatest accumulation was observed in the eggshells, likely due to their porous structure, which facilitates metal deposition. Both Ag-NPs (20 mg/kg) and AgNO₃ (10 and 20 mg/kg) induced DNA damage, although the damage was more severe in the groups exposed to AgNO₃. A positive correlation was observed between treatment groups and comet assay parameters indicating increased DNA fragmentation in exposed birds. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that although Ag-NPs resulted in higher silver accumulation, they caused less DNA damage compared to silver nitrate. This suggests that silver nanoparticles may offer a safer alternative for increasing silver levels in poultry feed while minimizing the genotoxic risks associated with ionic silver compounds.