Effect of retinyl palmitate supplementation on egg yolk retinol and cholesterol concentrations in quail

1. The purpose of this study was to assess the incorporation of retinol into quail egg yolk and cholesterol concentration in response to supplementation with different quantities of retinyl palmitate (600, 1200, 2400 and 4800 microg). 2. Supplementations were performed weekly for 4 weeks and the yolk retinol was measured using high performance liquid chromatography. 3. The results showed a progressive increase in the incorporation of retinol into the egg yolk in response to supplementation, reaching values 384% higher than control values. 4. At the end of supplementation we observed a significant decrease in egg yolk retinol concentrations with supplementations of 2400 and 4800 microg, the most enduring showing high retinol contents even after 3 weeks. 5. Supplementation increased egg weight but neither egg production nor cholesterol levels were significantly altered.     

Effect of dietary karaya saponin on serum and egg yolk cholesterol in laying hens

1. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of dietary karaya saponin on cholesterol deposition in laying hens. 2. A total of 40 Boris Brown hens were randomly assigned at 20 weeks of age to 4 treatment groups and fed on diets supplemented with 0 (control), 25, 50 or 75 mg/kg karaya saponin for an 8-week experimental period. 3. After 8 weeks of dietary supplementation, karaya-saponin-treated groups had significantly lower serum cholesterol (23·0%) and triglycerides but increased high density lipoproteins cholesterol concentration than controls, irrespective of karaya saponin content in the diet. Egg yolk cholesterol and triglycerides were also significantly reduced by dietary karaya saponin. Hepatic cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly reduced by karaya saponin but bile acids concentration in the faeces and liver were significantly increased by karaya saponin. The concentrations of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids in the yolk were greater in hens receiving karaya saponin than in controls. Karaya saponin significantly increased egg production, feed efficiency and yolk colour compared with controls. Karaya saponin tended to increase egg weight, feed consumption, Haugh units, albumen weight and yolk index. 4. In conclusion, karaya saponin is a potential agent for reducing yolk cholesterol concentration together with an overall increase of production performance and improvement in egg quality.     

Effect of probiotic supplementation on growth,nitrogen utilisation and serum cholesterol in broilers

1. The effect of dietary probiotic supplementation on the growth, nitrogen utilisation and serum cholesterol content of broiler chickens was studied in 2 trials.

2. In experiment 1, the birds receiving the 0, 75, 100, 125 mg probiotic/kg diets had weight gains of 1204.0, 1272.0, 1268.3 and 1210.5 g, respectively at the end of 8 weeks of feeding. The group of birds fed on the 75 mg probiotic supplemented diet retained significantly (P<0.01) more nitrogen than the control birds. Serum cholesterol content was lower in the probiotic‐supplemented birds (93.3 mg/100 ml) compared to the control birds (132.2 mg/100 ml).

3. In the second experiment the probiotic plus antibiotic‐supplemented group of birds had the maximum weight gain (1148.5 g) followed by antibiotic (1141.3 g), probiotic‐supplemented (1128.4 g) and control birds (1045.6 g) after 6 weeks. Nitrogen retention was greatest in the antibiotic—(48.5%) followed by the probiotic—(46.5%), probiotic plus antibiotic‐supplemented groups (46.3%) compared to 40.2% in control birds.

4. The apparent metabolisable energy was greatest in birds receiving the probiotic plus antibiotic‐supplemented diet (12.37 MJ/kg) followed by antibiotic—(12.00 MJ/kg), probiotic‐supplemented birds (11.92 MJ/kg) than in control birds (11.62 MJ/kg). Serum cholesterol was significantly (P<0.01) lower in probiotic‐supplemented birds (86.1 mg/dl) compared to 118.4 mg/dl in control birds.     

不同苜蓿草粉水平对产蛋鸡蛋黄胆固醇含量影响的研究

选择健康35周龄新罗曼商品代蛋鸡768只,采用2×4因子试验设计,随机分为8个处理组,每组3个重复,每个重复32只,分别在饲粮中添加0,3%,5%,7%的紫花苜蓿草粉和1.6%和2.4%的油脂,试验期60 d,观测苜蓿草粉和油脂对鸡蛋蛋黄重、蛋黄相对重、每克蛋黄胆固醇含量以及每枚鸡蛋中胆固醇含量的影响.结果表明:1)添加苜蓿草粉和油脂后,对蛋黄相对重无显著影响(P＞0.05);蛋黄重有显著增加,其中低油脂组中7%草粉添加组蛋黄重极显著高于不添加组(P＜0.01),各添加组之间差异不显著;高油脂组中各添加组之间无显著差异;每g蛋黄胆固醇含量有较大降低,添加草粉后,各试验组较不添加组极显著降低每g蛋黄中胆固醇含量(P＜0.01);每枚蛋中胆固醇含量有显著降低,其中高油脂组中5%和7%草粉添加组蛋黄重极显著高于不添加组(P＜0.01),各添加组之间差异不显著.二者的交互作用中,苜蓿水平对鸡蛋中胆固醇的影响高于油脂水平.2)随着苜蓿草粉添加水平的增加,每g蛋黄中胆固醇含量和鸡蛋中胆固醇含量逐渐降低,每g蛋黄中胆固醇含量在前30 d下降较快,随后逐渐降低,试验至45 d时趋于平稳.     

饲粮添加生姜粉对蛋鸡生产性能和蛋品质的影响

试验旨在探讨饲粮添加不同水平的生姜粉对蛋鸡生产性能和蛋品质的影响。选取27周龄罗曼褐壳蛋鸡120只,随机分为4组,每组设3个重复,每个重复10只。对照组饲喂基础饲粮,试验组分别添加0.5%、1.0%、1.5%的生姜粉。预饲期7 d,试验期4周。结果表明:饲粮中添加适量的生姜粉可以提高蛋鸡的平均日产蛋量和试验3~4周的产蛋率以及试验1~2周的平均蛋重(P<0.05)。饲粮中添加适量生姜粉能够提高鸡蛋的哈夫单位和蛋比重(P<0.05)。结果提示,饲粮中添加生姜粉可提高罗曼褐壳蛋鸡的生产性能和蛋品质,以1.0%生姜粉为最适添加量。     

Effect of hesperidin dietary supplementation on hen performance,egg quality and yolk oxidative stability

1. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with hesperidin (one or 3 g/kg of feed) for 31 d on the performance, egg quality and yolk oxidative stability of brown and white laying hens (26-wk old).

2. Supplementation with hesperidin did not affect egg production, egg weight and egg quality traits.

3. No hesperidin effect on yolk and plasma cholesterol was observed. A strain effect was found with lower total and per g yolk cholesterol of brown hens in comparison to the white ones.

4. Oxidative stability of egg yolk, expressed as ng MDA/g yolk, was significantly improved in the hesperidin groups even from the first week of supplementation. At the same time, a significant improvement in the oxidative stability of egg yolk due to the incorporation of hesperidin in hens’ diet was observed after 30 and 90 d of storage at 20°C and 4°C, respectively.

5. No hesperidin by strain interaction was detected for any of the traits measured.

6. In conclusion, incorporation of hesperidin to laying hens’ feed did not affect productive and egg qualitative traits. On the other hand, dietary hesperidin supplementation significantly improved oxidative stability of both fresh and stored eggs. Antioxidant properties of hesperidin seem to make it a promising natural agent for improving the shelf life of eggs.     

褐壳蛋鸡蛋壳颜色的形成机理及其泛白原因分析

褐壳蛋鸡蛋壳颜色的深浅与蛋的销路密切相关。所以熏很多养殖户对蛋壳颜色非常关注熏很在意观察蛋壳颜色的变化,并常常把它的变化与所喂饲料联系在一起。常有养殖户发问:“鸡蛋壳又变白变浅了,是饲料的毛病?还是鸡又闹什么病呢?”。针对这些情况熏现就蛋壳颜色的问题和大家作一交流。1蛋壳颜色的形成1.1品种因素蛋壳颜色是最直观的品种特性。目前大群饲养的有色蛋鸡品种多为从国外引进的褐壳蛋鸡。有研究表明熏蛋壳颜色有较高的遗传力,蛋壳色泽遗传为0.58～0.76。且壳色性状为多基因影响,褐色基因依个体遗传结构的差异,表现出由棕色到浅褐不…     

Effects of an induced pause in egg production and supplementation of the diet with iron on egg shell colour,quality and performance of brown egg layers

1. A pause in egg production was induced in brown‐egg laying hens, aged 68 weeks, by feeding them whole oats for 7 d. Subsequently, these hens, together with control groups, were given laying diets with either 400 or 600 mg/kg iron. The 200 mg/kg of supplemental iron was added in the form of either ferrous sulphate or iron proteinate (chelated iron).

2. The feeding of whole oats halted egg production in 5.7 ±0.22 d and the duration of the pause was 8.3 ±0.78 d.

3. The induction of a pause improved the subsequent rate of egg production, egg output, efficiency of food utilisation, albumen quality, egg specific gravity and shell colour. It also increased food intake and body weight gain but neither egg weight nor the rate of mortality were affected.

4. Neither supplementation of the diet with iron nor its source had any significant effect on laying performance, egg quality or shell colour.     

杜仲叶粉对蛋鸡血清生化指标和蛋黄胆固醇含量的影响

为了解杜仲叶粉对蛋鸡血清生化指标和蛋黄胆固醇含量的影响,选用30周龄、120只罗曼褐商品蛋鸡,随机分为对照组和试验组,每组3个重复,每个重复20只。对照组饲喂基础日粮,试验组在基础日粮中添加2%杜仲叶粉,连续饲喂30d。试验结果表明:试验组蛋鸡蛋重和产蛋率分别提高1.67%(P>0.05)和4.95%(P<0.05),料蛋比提高4.56%(P<0.05);血清葡萄糖(Glu)、总蛋白(TP)含量升高(P<0.05);血清胆固醇和蛋黄胆固醇含量分别降低11.17%和8.50%(P<0.05);血清无机磷(P)、钙(Ca)、钾(K)、钠(Na)离子浓度变化差异不显著(P>0.05)。结论:杜仲能提高蛋鸡产蛋率和料蛋比,并能降低血清和蛋黄胆固醇的含量。     

Effect of fructooligosaccharides and antibiotics on laying performance of chickens and cholesterol content of egg yolk

1. Nine hundred and sixty 25-week-old Lohmann Brown layers were randomly divided into 5 groups with 216 layers in each group. Layers in group one were fed a control diet, group 2 received the control diet plus 20 mg/kg zinc bacitracin and 4 mg/kg colistinsulfate, and the remaining three groups received control diet plus 2000, or 4000, or 6000 mg/kg fructooligosaccharide (FOS). 2. The results showed improvements in egg production, feed consumption and feed conversion of layers when 2000 mg/kg FOS was added to the diets. 3. The results also showed some additional improvements in the group supplemented with 2000 mg/kg FOS, including increases in egg shell thickness, yolk colour and Haugh unit, and decreases in yolk cholesterol concentration. 4. However, larger (excessive) doses of FOS did not improve the performance of layers.     

Effects of inulin on performance, egg quality, gut microflora and serum and yolk cholesterol in laying hens

1. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of inulin on laying hens. A total of 360 Brown Nick laying hens were divided randomly into 6 groups of 60 with 6 replicates of 10 hens and fed on diets containing 0 (control), 0·1, 0·5, 1·0, 1·5 or 2·0% inulin during the 4-week trial. 2. Dietary supplementation of inulin reduced cholesterol concentration (mg/g yolk) and content (mg/egg) in eggs. Cholesterol content in eggs decreased linearly with increasing levels of dietary inulin level. 3. Supplementation of inulin in diets decreased coliform bacteria counts and pH in the caecum. The lowest coliform bacteria counts (6·30 ± 0·03 log10 cfu/g) and pH (6·47 ± 0·01) were obtained in the 2·0% inulin group, the two indices decreasing by 21·6% and 3·0% respectively, compared with the control group. Coliform bacteria count and pH were changed linearly in accordance with increasing levels of dietary inulin level. Caecal Bifidobacteria counts were increased in the 2·0%-inulin group. 4. Inulin supplementation of layer diets did not appear to have any adverse effects on laying rate, egg weight, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency, cracked-egg rate, eggshell thickness or Haugh unit compared with the control laying hens. 5. Therefore, dietary supplementation with inulin may lead to the development of low-cholesterol chicken eggs as demanded by health-conscious consumers.     

Effects of dietary supplementation of resveratrol on performance,egg quality,yolk cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activity of laying hens

1. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of resveratrol on laying performance, egg quality, egg yolk cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activities of laying hens.

2. A total of 360 Beijing PINK-1 laying hens (60 weeks old) were randomly distributed among five dietary treatments, each of which included 6 replicates of 12 hens. Dietary treatments were basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg diet resveratrol. The study lasted for 9 weeks including 1 week of adaptation and 8 weeks of the main experimental period.

3. The results indicated that dietary resveratrol significantly improved feed conversion ratios during 5–8 weeks and 1–8 weeks of the trial. Increasing dietary concentrations of the resveratrol linearly improved Haugh unit and albumen height of eggs.

4. The content of total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) in serum and cholesterol in yolk was significantly decreased by dietary resveratrol, and there were significant linear correlations between these indexes and resveratrol supplemental levels.

5. Dietary resveratrol supplementation significantly improved serum Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activity and decreased serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content in groups with 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg resveratrol as compared to the control, respectively. However, supplementation of resveratrol did not affect the activity of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD).

6. It is concluded that resveratrol supplementation has a positive effect on performance, lipid-related traits and antioxidant activity of laying hens.     

Effects of dietary supplementation with Gynura procumbens (Merr.) on egg yolk cholesterol,excreta microflora and laying hen performance

1. The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with Gynura procumbens on egg yolk and serum cholesterol and triglycerides, excreta microflora, laying performance and egg quality.

2. A total of 160 Hy-Line Brown layers (45 weeks old) were randomly assigned into 4 treatments on the basis of laying performance. Each treatment had 4 replicates with 10 birds each.

3. Dietary treatments were basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 g/kg diet G. procumbens during 56-d feeding period.

4. Serum (d 21, 42 and 56) and egg yolk (d 28, 42 and 56) cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations were linearly reduced with increasing dietary concentrations of G. procumbens.

5. Increasing dietary concentrations of G. procumbens linearly reduced the excreta total anaerobic bacteria (d 28), Clostridium sp. and Escherichia coli (d 28 and 56) populations.

6. Overall egg production and egg mass were linearly increased, and overall feed efficiency was linearly improved with increase in dietary G. procumbens.

7. Dietary increasing concentrations of G. procumbens linearly improved egg yolk colour (d 28 and 56) and breaking strength of eggs (d 56).

8. The results obtained in the present experiment indicate that dietary supplementation with G. procumbens could reduce the egg yolk cholesterol, suppresses harmful excreta microflora and improves layers performance.     

Dietary phosphorus and egg shell thickness in the domestic fowl

The influence of two diets, differing only in their phosphorus content, on egg shell thickness was compared in 24 pullets in a change‐over experiment lasting 8 weeks. The mean shell thickness of the eggs laid on the low‐phosphorus diet (0.46 per cent total phosphorus) was 2 per cent greater than the mean thickness expressed interms of mg./cm.2 on the high‐phosphorus diet (1 per cent total phosphorus), and this difference was statistically significant. It is suggested that the increase in shell thickness on the low‐phosphorus diet was due to increased absorption and retention of dietary calcium, but this suggestion could not be confirmed experimentally in two balance periods of 6 days each owing to the great variations in calcium retention observed both between and within birds. The skeletal weights of birds killed after laying for approximately 11 months on one or other of the two rations showed no correlation between dietary treatment and skeletal weight, percentage egg production or mean shell thickness.     

Effects of cerium oxide supplementation to laying hen diets on performance,egg quality,some antioxidant enzymes in serum and lipid oxidation in egg yolk

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary cerium oxide levels (0, 100, 200, 300 or 400 mg/kg) on the laying performance, egg quality, some blood serum parameters and egg lipid peroxidation of laying hen. In total, one hundred and twenty 22‐week‐old brown Lohman LSL laying hens were randomly assigned to five groups equally (n = 24). Each treatment was replicated six times. Dietary supplementation of cerium oxide had no significant effect on feed intake and egg weight. The addition of cerium oxide to the laying hens' feed improved feed conversion ratio and increased (p < 0.05) egg production. Quality criteria of egg for except shell breaking strength were not affected by supplementing cerium oxide. In particular, supplementation of 200 and 300 mg/kg cerium oxide to the laying hens feed led to a significant (p < 0. 01) increase in egg shell breaking strength. Calcium and phosphorus concentration of serum increased significantly (p < 0.05) with supplementation of 100 mg/kg cerium oxide to laying hen diets. It was also observed that serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration decreased significantly with supplementation of cerium oxide in diets. Inclusion of cerium oxide resulted in a significant reduction in thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values in egg yolk in this study. It can be concluded that the addition of cerium oxide had positive effects on egg production, feed conversion ratio and egg shelf life. Based on the results of this study, it could be advised to supplement laying hens feed with cerium oxide as feed additives.     

鸡蛋中胆固醇含量调控原理与措施

随着人口的老龄化,心血管疾病逐渐成为威胁人类健康的重要杀手。临床和流行病学研究发现,动脉粥样硬化是导致心血管疾病的重要因素。而高脂、高胆固醇膳食与动脉粥样硬化有着密切关系。膳食胆固醇(CH OL)来源于动物性食物,鸡蛋是动物性食品中CH OL含量较高的一种,平均213m g/枚[1]。鸡蛋中的CH OL具有升高血浆总CH OL、LDL-CH OL水平的潜在作用。由于担心其CH OL会引起动脉粥样硬化,人们减少了鸡蛋食用。美国人年均消费鸡蛋从1965年的402枚降至1991年的233枚,全美的鸡蛋消费量下降了16%~25%[1]。因此,从改善人们的饮食和健康、提…