FOOD. Science. Technology. Quality

Food. SCIENCE. Technology. Quality

Food. Science. TECHNOLOGY. Quality

Food. Science. Technology. QUALITY

Authors

TADEUSZ TRZISZKA, EWA ŁUKASZEWICZ, ŁUKASZ BOBAK, ARTUR KOWALCZYK, MAREK ADAMSKI, ZBIGNIEW DOBRZAŃSKI

Title

Effect of enriching feeds with algae marine and linseed on morphological composition and physical and chemical characteristics of Japanese quail eggs

Abstract

The effect was studied of the application of algae marine and linseed as a source of fatty acids to feeding Japanese quail hens (Coturnix coturnix japonica) in terms of improving physical characteristics of eggs as well as the content of cholesterol and fatty acid profile in the yolk. Once the birds from a control group (240 females, divided into 6 replicates) were 6 weeks old, they were given ad libitum a standard G-090 feed (Granum Animals Nutrition, Poland ). The experimental group (of the same structure) received the same feed, which, however, was enriched with algae marine (DHA Gold, Novus, Poland ) and linseed in the amount of 5 g and 40 g, respectively, plus 0.3 g of selenium yeast (as an antioxidant) per 1 kg of feed. For further analysis, the eggs were collected in the 9th (period I), 13th (period II), and in the 17th week (period III) of production, i.e. in the 16th, 20th, and 24th week of age. During the three egg-laying periods, physical parameters of eggs in each group were assessed (weight of egg, of shell, of yolk and of egg white, yolk colour, and shell strength and thickness) as was the fatty acid profile; those parameters were determined by a gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer (GC/MS). Cholesterol was analyzed using an HP liquid chromatograph (produced by Agilent Technologies). Enriching the feed of Japanese quail with algae marine and linseed had no effect on the morphological composition and physical parameters of egg (egg weight, percent contents of egg white, yolk and shell, thickness and strength of the shell), but it caused the active acidity (pH) of the egg white and yolk to significantly decrease. In addition, the applied additives caused the cholesterol level in the yolk to significantly decrease, the content of DHA acid in yolk to double its amount, and the n-6/n-3 ratio to decrease 3-4 times, what is very important as regards the nutritional and technological value of eggs.

Keywords

Japanese quail, algae, linseed, physical parameters of eggs, fatty acids, cholesterol

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