Dietary Supplementation with Microencapsulated Lutein Improves Yolk Color and Lutein Content in Fresh and Cooked Eggs of Laying Hens

• Published in: The Journal of Poultry Science Vol. 58; no. 2; pp. 97 - 102
• Main Authors: Wen, Chao, Su, Yue, Tao, Zhengguo, Cheng, Zongjia, Zhou, Di, Wang, Tian, Zhou, Yanmin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Japan Poultry Science Association 2021; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Birds; Color; Diet; Dietary supplements; Eggs; laying hen; Lutein; microencapsulation; Pigmentation; Poultry; Soybeans; Yolk; yolk color; laying hen; lutein; microencapsulation; yolk color
• ISSN: 1346-7395; 1349-0486
• DOI: 10.2141/jpsa.0190139

This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of diet supplemented with non-microencapsulated lutein (NL) and microencapsulated lutein (ML) in laying hens. A total of 270 Hy-line Brown laying hens (54 weeks old) were allocated to three groups with six replicates of 15 hens and were adapted to a wheat-soybean meal basal diet for two weeks. Next, the control birds were fed the basal diet, and the test birds were fed the basal diet supplemented with 600 mg/kg NL (12 mg/kg available lutein) or 90.1 mg/kg ML (10 mg/kg available lutein) for 35 days. Supplementation of lutein did not affect the productive performance of laying hens, but improved (P<0.05) the yolk color and red/green value (a*), with eggs from the ML group displaying improved color and a* values from the 15th day of the experimental period. The blue/yellow value (b*) for the yolk showed an increase (P<0.05) through both NL and ML supplements. The yolk color of fried and boiled eggs and a* value of the yolk in fried eggs were improved (P<0.05) only through ML supplemented diet. Both NL and ML supplements resulted in lower (P<0.05) lightness and higher (P<0.05) a* values of yolk in boiled eggs, as well as higher (P<0.05) b* values in fried and boiled eggs. Yolk lutein content in fresh, fried, and boiled eggs was increased (P<0.05) in NL and ML groups with the latter being higher. In conclusion, ML improved yolk pigmentation and lutein retention in laying hens better than NL.