Design of Physicochemical Properties of Eggs as a Result of Modification of the Fat Fraction of Laying Feed.

The aim of this study was to investigate and confirm the properties of eggs produced by laying hens fed a diet consisting of pomegranate seed oil as a source of CLnA and flaxseed oil as a source of α-linolenic acid. The study involved determining the chemical composition of the eggs, including their fatty acid profile. The results showed that modifying the laying hens' feed composition resulted in eggs with high nutritional value, with a favorable change in their fatty acid profile. In most cases, the addition of linseed oil or pomegranate seed oil did not affect the physical and chemical properties of the eggs. However, the diet of laying hens had a positive effect on the fatty acid profile of the egg yolk. The presence of conjugated linolenic acid trienes in eggs produced by laying hens fed a modified diet makes them a potential source of these compounds for human consumption.

Effects of replacing Na selenite in laying hen feed with selenized glucose on production performance, egg quality, egg selenium content, microbial population, immunological response, antioxidant enzymes, and fatty acid composition.

This study aimed to explore the effects of selenized glucose (SeGlu) and Na selenite supplementation on various aspects of laying hens such as production performance, egg quality, egg Se concentration, microbial population, antioxidant enzymes activity, immunological response, and yolk fatty acid profile. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 168 laying hens at 27-wk of age were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups with 7 replications. Se source (Na selenite and SeGlu) and Se level (0.3 and 0.6 mg/kg) were used as treatments. When 0.3 mg SeGlu/kg was compared to 0.3 mg Na selenite/kg, the interaction findings revealed that 0.3 mg SeGlu/kg increased egg production percent and shell ash (P < 0.05). When compared to 0.3 mg Na selenite/kg, dietary supplementation with 0.3 and 0.6 mg SeGlu/kg resulted in an increase in albumen height, Haugh unit, and yolk color of fresh eggs (P < 0.05). SeGlu enhanced albumen height, Haugh unit, shell thickness (P < 0.01), albumen index, yolk share, specific gravity, shell ash (P < 0.05) of fresh eggs and shell thickness (P < 0.05) of stored eggs as compared to Na selenite. The interaction showed that 0.6 mg SeGlu/kg enhanced yolk Se concentration while decreasing malondialdehyde levels in fresh egg yolk (P < 0.05). SeGlu enhanced Se concentration in albumen and glutathione peroxidase activity in plasma (P < 0.05) as compared to Na selenite. 0.6 mg Se/kg increased lactic acid bacteria, antibody response to sheep red blood cells, and lowered ∑n-6 PUFA/ ∑n-3 PUFA ratio (P < 0.05). As a result, adding SeGlu to the feed of laying hens enhanced egg production, egg quality, egg Se concentration, fresh yolk lipid oxidation, and glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity.

Effects of different supplemental levels of protease DE200 on the production performance, egg quality, and cecum microflora of laying hens.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of the protease DE200 on the performance, egg quality, organ index, and cecum microflora of Hy-line W36 laying hens. In this experiment, a total of 180 laying hens aged 300 d were randomly divided into three treatment groups and fed diets containing 0, 100, or 200 g/t DE200. The experimental period was 8 wk, including 2 wk of prefeeding and 6 wk of the formal experiment. Regular feeding was performed thrice a day and eggs were collected twice daily, and the feed intake and the egg quality were recorded. The results showed that in terms of production performance, dietary supplementation with different levels of DE200 significantly increased egg production (EP; P < 0.05) and significantly decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR; P < 0.05) and average daily feed intake (ADFI; P < 0.05) without affecting egg weight (EW). In addition, the addition of DE200 significantly reduced the egg breakage rate (P < 0.05) and tended to increase the Haugh unit and decrease the water content of the yolk (P > 0.05). In the cecal microflora, the addition of DE200 increased the proportions of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes at the phylum level while reducing the proportion of Fusobacteria. Furthermore, at the genus level, the addition of DE200 increased the proportions of Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium and reduced the proportion of Megamonas. This study suggested that the protease DE200 can be used as a feed supplement to improve the production performance of laying hens.

In the production of laying hens, improving the efficiency of dietary protein utilization is important. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the protease DE200 on the performance, egg quality and cecal microflora of Hyline white laying hens. A total of 180 laying hens aged 300 d were randomly divided into three treatment groups and fed diets containing 0, 100, or 200 g/t DE200 for 56 d. The results showed that supplementation with 100 or 200 g/t DE200 in the basal diet improved the production performance and egg quality of laying hens. DE200 (100 g/t) improved the balance of the cecal microflora, and DE200 (200 g/t) increased the richness and diversity of the cecal microflora of laying hens. Dietary supplementation with DE200 can improve the intestinal health and nutrient utilization efficiency of laying hens by improving the intestinal flora.

Complementary Feeding Practices: Recommendations of Pediatricians for Infants with and without Allergy Risk.

AIM: To investigate the routine guidance provided by pediatricians concerning the timing of complementary feeding (CF) for both healthy infants and those at a heightened risk of allergies. METHODS: A total of 233 pediatricians participated in an anonymous online survey that included questions about demographics and recommendations for CF. Specifically, they provided guidance on the types of foods, preparation methods, supplements, time intervals for introducing new foods to infants at low and high allergy risk, and delayed food introductions for high-risk cases. RESULTS: The respondents advised introducing certain foods at specific ages: fruits, starchy non-gluten grains, vegetables, olive oil, and meat were appropriate at 6 months; gluten-rich grains at 7 months; yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and legumes at 8 months; fish at 8.5 months; and nuts at 9 months. Pediatricians, especially those with less than 15 years of practice, often introduced egg, seafood, gluten-rich grains, legumes, and nuts earlier for high-risk infants. Parenthood and male gender were associated with the earlier introduction of eggs and grains. CONCLUSIONS: Greek pediatricians follow a structured food introduction schedule for CF in infants. Interestingly, they tend to delay the introduction of common food allergens and recommend longer intervals between introducing new foods, particularly for high-risk infants. Key Notes: Despite recent evidence-based indications on healthy complementary feeding strategies for infants, discrepancies persist among pediatricians regarding food choices and the order and timing of food introduction, both for healthy infants and those at risk of allergy. Guidance on complementary feeding by pediatricians is influenced by their individual characteristics. Pediatricians tend to delay the introduction of common food allergens and recommend longer intervals between introducing new foods, particularly for high-risk infants.

Effects of Early Diet on the Prevalence of Allergic Disease in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Recent evidence suggests that the timing of introduction, types, and amounts of complementary foods/allergenic foods may influence the risk of allergic disease. However, the evidence has not been updated and comprehensively synthesized. The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PubMed databases were searched from the inception of each database up to 31 May 2023 (articles prior to 2000 were excluded manually). Statistical analyses were performed using RevMan 5. The GRADE approach was followed to rate the certainty of evidence. Compared with >6 mo, early introduction of eggs (≤6 mo of age) might reduce the risk of food allergies in preschoolers aged <6 y (odds ratio [OR], 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53, 0.81), but had no effect on asthma or atopic dermatitis (AD). Consumption of fish at 6-12 mo might reduce the risk of asthma in children (aged 5-17 y) compared with late introduction after 12 mo (OR, 0.61; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.72). Introduction of allergenic foods for ≤6 mo of age, compared with >6 mos, was a protective factor for the future risk (children aged ≤10 y) of AD (OR, 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.97). Probiotic intervention for infants at high risk of allergic disease significantly reduced the risk of food allergy at ages 0-3 y (OR, 0.72; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.94), asthma at 6-12 y (OR, 0.61; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.90), and AD at aged <6 y (3-6 y: OR, 0.70; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.94; 0-3 y: OR, 0.73; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.91). Early introduction of complementary foods or the high-dose vitamin D supplementation in infancy was not associated with the risk of developing food allergies, asthma, or AD during childhood. Early introduction to potential allergen foods for normal infants or probiotics for infants at high risk of allergies may protect against development of allergic disease. This study was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42022379264.

N-carbamylglutamate supplementation induces functional egg production in layers by modulating liver transcriptome profiles.

Eggs rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), known as functional eggs, are animal products deemed beneficial to human health and possess high economic value. The production of functional eggs involves supplementing exogenous additives with the ability to regulate lipid metabolism. As N-Carbamylglutamate (NCG) serves as an endogenous arginine synthesizer, and arginine acts as the substrate for the formation of nitric oxide (NO), the biological function of NCG is partially mediated by NO. NO is a key regulatory molecule in lipid metabolism, suggesting that NCG may also have the ability to modulate lipid metabolism. In order to assess the capacity of NCG in regulating liver lipid metabolism and its potential application in producing functional eggs, we conducted a study to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of NCG on production performance, serum, and liver NO levels, yolk fatty acid composition, and the liver transcriptome of layers. In this study, we utilized 30 layers of the Jinghong No.1 breed, all aged 45 wk. All the birds were randomly divided into 2 groups. Each group had 5 replicates, and each replicate had 3 birds. We provided them with different diets: one group received the basic diet, and the other group's diet was supplemented with 0.08% NCG. The experiment lasted for 14 wk. The results did not reveal any positive impact of NCG on production performance. However, NCG supplementation elevated NO levels in serum and liver, along with an increase in yolk PUFA, ω-3, and ω-6 fatty acids. Liver transcriptome analysis identified 124 upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 43 downregulated DEGs due to NCG supplementation. Functional annotation using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database highlighted 3 upregulated DEGs (CPT1A, MOGAT1, and CHKA) and 2 downregulated DEGs (FASN and ETNPPL) associated with lipid metabolism. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that CPT1A was enriched in the AMPK signaling pathway and the PPAR signaling pathway, while FASN was enriched in the AMPK signaling pathway. Thus, CPT1A and FASN are potential functional genes related to lipid metabolism facilitated by NCG supplementation. In summary, our study suggests that NCG supplementation modulates liver lipid metabolism, leading to the production of functional eggs in layers.

Cut yield and meat quality of brown eggshell laying hens housed in an alternative system and submitted to different feeding volumes.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of different feeding volumes on the cut yield and meat quality of brown eggshell laying hens strain Embrapa 051 (E051) during the laying cycle, reared in an alternative system and slaughtered at 73 weeks, with reference to the lineage Lohmann Brown (LB). 600 hens E051 and 200 hens LB were used in an entirely randomized experimental design totalizing 5 replicates with 40 birds each. The treatments were: Control (LB fed with 100% of their dietary requirements), E051 fed with 93% of the control diet, E051 fed with 100% of the control diet, and E051 fed with 107% of the control diet. Birds were supplemented daily with 30g of ground grasses. Different feeding volumes did not alter the physicochemical quality of the meat and the cut yield. Body and cold carcass weight were greater in the E051 fed with 107% of the reference feed compared to the LB or the E051 fed with 7% less than the control diet. Yellow color intensity was greater in the E051 than in LB. The results demonstrated that, at the end of their productive cycle, the E051 without a restricted diet presents good carcass characteristics and potential for industrialized development.

Dietary non-phytate phosphorus requirements for optimal productive and reproductive performance, and egg and tibial quality in egg-type duck breeders.

Optimal dietary non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) is essential in poultry to maximise productive and reproductive performance, along with indices of egg and bone quality. This study aimed to establish the NPP requirements of egg-type duck breeders aged from 54 to 80 weeks on the following traits: egg production, egg incubation, egg quality, tibial characteristics, reproductive organ, plasma indices, and the expression of genes related to phosphorus absorption. Longyan duck breeders aged 54 weeks (n = 300) were randomly allotted to five treatments, each containing six replicates of 10 individually caged birds. Birds were fed corn-soybean meal-based diets containing 0.18, 0.25, 0.32, 0.38, and 0.45% NPP/kg for 27 weeks. The tested dietary NPP levels did not affect egg production or egg quality indices. The hatchling weight of ducklings increased (quadratic, P < 0.01) as dietary NPP level increased, and the highest value occurred with 0.25% NPP. The number of large yellow follicles (LYF), and the relative weights of LYF and ovary showed linear and quadratic responses to dietary NPP levels; the lowest number and relative weight of LYF occurred with 0.38% NPP, and the lowest ovarian weight was obtained with 0.25% NPP. There were no differences in tibial length, breaking strength, and mineral density in response to dietary NPP levels. In contrast, tibial content of Ca increased (linear, P < 0.01) with dietary NPP levels increasing from 0.18 to 0.45%, and the tibial content of P increased at 0.32% NPP and the higher dietary NPP levels. Plasma concentration of P showed a quadratic (P < 0.05) response to the dietary NPP levels, where the highest value was seen at 0.38% NPP. In conclusion, dietary NPP levels from 0.18 to 0.45% had no effects on egg production, and egg and tibial quality of duck breeders. The duck breeders fed a diet with 0.25% NPP showed the highest hatchling weight of their offspring, while those fed 0.38% NPP had the lowest number and relative weight of LYF. These results indicated that the diet with 0.25% NPP can be used in egg-type duck breeders to improve the hatchling weight of their offspring, without adverse effects on their productivity. The regression model indicated that the maximal hatchling weight of ducklings was obtained from duck breeders fed the diet with 0.30% NPP.

Tracing exploitation of egg boons: an experimental study using fatty acids and stable isotopes.

Coordinated spawning of marine animals releases millions of planktonic eggs into the environment, known as egg boons. Eggs are rich in essential fatty acids and may be an important lipid subsidy to egg consumers. Our aim was to validate the application of fatty acid and stable isotope tracers of egg consumption to potential egg consumers and to confirm egg consumption by the selected species. We conducted feeding experiments with ctenophores, crustaceans and fishes. We fed these animals a common diet of Artemia or a commercial feed (Otohime) and simulated egg boons for half of them by intermittently supplementing the common diet with red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) eggs for 10-94 days. Controls did not receive eggs. Fatty acid profiles of consumers fed eggs were significantly different from those of controls 24 h after the last egg-feeding event. Consumers took on fatty acid characteristics of eggs. In fishes and ctenophores, fatty acid markers of egg consumption did not persist 2-5 days after the last egg-feeding event, but markers of egg consumption persisted in crustaceans for at least 5-10 days. Additionally, consumption of eggs, which had high values of δ15N, led to δ15N enrichment in crustaceans and a fish. We conclude that fatty acids and nitrogen stable isotope can be used as biomarkers of recent egg consumption in marine animals, validating their use for assessing exploitation of egg boons in nature.

The effects of replacing wheat and soyabean meal with duckweed (Lemna minor) and including enzymes in the diet of laying hens on the yield and quality of eggs, biochemical parameters, and their antioxidant status.

Duckweed is a rapidly growing aquatic plant, which could be used in the diet of laying hens to enhance carbon capture and improve land use efficiency. Digestion may be improved by supplementation with exogenous enzymes. We replaced soyabean meal and wheat with duckweed in a 10-week study with 432, 60-week-old Hy-Line W-36 layers, divided into six isocaloric and isonitrogenous dietary treatments, each with eight replicates. Two factors were investigated: first, duckweed substituted for wheat gluten meal and soyabean meal at 0, 7.5 and 15% of the diet, and second, with and without a multi-enzyme supplement (500 mg/kg). Duckweed did not affect egg output or weight, but it improved yolk color (P = 0.01) and reduced the liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.04) and alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.02) in serum, suggesting hepatoprotective effects. Enzyme addition did not alter the effects of including duckweed in the diet, but it increased feed intake (P = 0.03). It is concluded that, as well as offering the potential to increase land productivity, inclusion of duckweed in the diet of laying hens enhances egg yolk color and hepatoprotection, without detrimental effects on performance.

Sunflower cake associated with crude glycerin in white laying hens diets: Performance and quality, antioxidant activity and lipid oxidation of eggs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of sunflower cake inclusion and its association with crude glycerin in the diet of laying hens. A total of 320 laying hens with 39 weeks of age were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme with 5 replications of 8 birds. The studied factors were 4 inclusion levels of sunflower cake and 2 levels of crude glycerin. The inclusion of 210 g/kg of sunflower cake reduced egg mass and worsened feed conversion, and after the level 70 g/kg there was reduction in yolk coloration and specific density of eggs with or without the addition of glycerin in the diet. The addition of 70 g/kg of crude glycerin reduced the specific density of eggs in all levels of sunflower cake. There was increase in phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and antioxidant activity in eggs and reduction in lipid oxidation of yolks from fresh and stored eggs, with the inclusion of sunflower cake. The addition of crude glycerin increased the lipid oxidation of egg yolks. Therefore, it is possible to include up to 140 g/kg sunflower cake in the diet of laying hens, with or without crude glycerin, without impairing performance and egg quality, obtaining higher antioxidant capacity of eggs and lower lipid oxidation in yolks from fresh and stored eggs. The inclusion of 70 g/kg crude glycerin does not affect laying hens performance, however, it worsens shell quality and increases lipid oxidation in the liver and egg yolks.

Use of lactulose as a prebiotic in laying hens: its effect on growth, egg production, egg quality, blood biochemistry, digestive enzymes, gene expression and intestinal morphology.

BACKGROUND: The rising popularity of eggs as an alternative source of protein to meat has led to significant increase in egg consumption over the past decade. To meet the increasing demand for eggs, poultry farmers have used antibiotics to treat infections and, to some extent, promote growth and egg production in raising layer. However, the emergence and global spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria has now necessitated antibiotic-free poultry farming. As alternatives to antibiotics, prebiotics are feed additives that can be used to improve the growth and laying performance of poultry which positively impacts their performance and general health. In this study we evaluated the effect of lactulose, formulated as Vetelact, on body weight, egg production, egg quality, blood biochemical parameters and expression of genes associated with reproductive performance in laying hens. RESULTS: Vetelact supplementation improved egg weight, egg production as well as egg quality. Following Vetalact supplementation, the levels of total bilirubin, total protein, globulin and phosphorus were increased, while the activities of alkaline phosphatase and lipase enzymes were increased compared to control. Vetelact at 0.10 ml/kg body weight upregulated OCX-36, OVAL, CALB1, OC-116, OCX-32 and IL8 transcripts while downregulating the transcription of Gal-10, PENK and AvBD9. At this optimal inclusion rate of Vetalect, histomorphologic analyses of intestinal tissue showed increased villi length with more goblet cell distribution and obvious mucus covering a surface, increase in the depth of intestinal crypts produce digestive enzymes, as well as more developed muscle layer that promote improved nutrient absorption. CONCLUSION: Vetelact at a dose of 0.10 ml/ kg body weight was effective in improving productive performance of laying hens. Adding lactulose (0.10 ml/ kg body weight) to layer diet is recommended to promote growth and improve egg laying performance in antibiotics-free poultry production.

Research on Chinese consumers' shell egg consumption preferences and the egg quality of functional eggs.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of egg consumption in China and the production of functional eggs, and finally enrich the types of shell egg products. Trial 1 explored the influence of egg quality on Chinese consumers' willingness to purchase eggs through a questionnaire, which investigated 1,317 consumers' preferences for egg appearance, factors influencing egg purchase, and purchase of functional eggs. The results showed that about 65% of respondents ate more than 4 eggs per wk, pink eggs were the most popular in China, about 65% of consumers preferred eggs with an egg weight of 48 to 58 grams. For functional eggs, 75.32% of consumers have never heard of them. Preferences for eggshell color and yolk color varied by geographic region, with darker colors preferred in Northeast China. Based on the survey results of functional eggs consumption in Trial 1, the dwarf layers of China Agricultural University were used in Trial 2 to produce functional eggs. The eggs are small and pink in color, which is in line with the preferences of Chinese consumers. Three hundred dwarf layers were divided into 4 groups, using the linseed oil added, marigold extract added, and yeast selenium added diets to produce normal, n-3 fatty acid-enriched, lutein-enriched and selenium-enriched eggs by feeding for 28 d, determined the eggs' nutrient content and egg quality. The results showed that the n-3 fatty acid, lutein and selenium contents of the eggs of dwarf layers were significantly increased by changing the diets and did not affect the egg weight, eggshell strength, Haugh units or the proportion of egg parts. The results of this study are helpful to understand the trend of egg consumption preferences in China, and on this basis to produce functional eggs that meet the consumers' expectations.

Effect of trans-cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsion wash on chicken embryo development in fertilized eggs.

Cleanliness of eggs is critical in successful hatching egg operations. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of trans-cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsion (TCNE) wash treatments, as a sanitation strategy, on embryonic development in fertilized eggs. Trans-cinnamaldehyde is a generally recognized as safe status phytochemical obtained from cinnamon bark. TCNE were prepared with emulsifiers Tween 80 (Tw.80) or gum Arabic and lecithin (GAL) by sonication. Day-old fertilized eggs were subjected to TCNE wash treatments at 34°C for 5 min, followed by 18 d of incubation at 37.7°C. Washing of fertilized eggs with TCNE-Tw.80 or GAL at 0.48% concentration did not significantly alter the egg weight at d 18 of incubation, as compared to baseline and control (P > 0.05). The egg weight loss (calculated as percentage) did not differ significantly between eggs subjected to nanoemulsion wash treatments and control eggs (P > 0.05). In case of embryo fertility and mortality, for baseline and control, ∼ 95% fertility rate was achieved, with combined early and midterm mortality at 16%. Likewise, TCNE-Tw.80 or TCNE-GAL resulted in 95% fertility (P > 0.05), with 11% and 17% combined early and midterm mortality, respectively. Furthermore, TCNE wash treatments did not differ significantly in yolk sac and embryo weight (as compared to control) and did not affect the length of the d 18 embryo (P > 0.05). Moreover, TCNE wash treatments did not alter tibia weight and length (P > 0.05). Results suggest that TCNE could potentially be used as a natural antimicrobial for fertilized egg sanitation. Further studies in industry settings are warranted.

Consumption of Nutritionally Enriched Hen Eggs Enhances Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation via Cyclooxygenase Metabolites in Healthy Young People-A Randomized Study.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of enriched hen egg consumption on endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDV) and the role of cyclooxygenases in EDV in the microcirculation of young healthy individuals. This study hypothesizes that Nutri4 eggs will improve endothelial function, which will be manifested by changes in microcirculatory flow measured by a laser Doppler flowmeter (LDF) during reactive hyperemia in response to vascular occlusion, in which n-3 PUFA plays an important role as well as its degradation pathway by cyclooxygenases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants consumed three eggs per day for three weeks: The control group (CTRL, n = 14) consumed regular hen eggs (approximately 0.330 mg of lutein, 1.785 mg of vitamin E, 0.054 mg of selenium and 438 mg of n-3 PUFAs daily) and Nutri4 group (n = 20) consumed enriched eggs (approximately 1.85 mg of lutein, 0.06 mg of selenium, 3.29 mg of vitamin E, and 1026 mg of n-3 PUFAs daily). Skin microvascular blood flow in response to EDV (post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) and iontophoresis of acetylcholine (AChID)) and sodium nitroprusside (SNPID; endothelium-independent) was assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry before and after dietary protocol and in a separate group of participants who were administered perorally 100 mg of indomethacin before microvascular response assessment. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, serum lipid, and liver enzymes, anthropometric measurements, protein expression of cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), neuronal nitric oxide synthases (nNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthases (iNOS), and endothelial nitric oxide synthases (eNOS) were measured before and after dietary protocol. RESULTS: PORH and AChID were significantly enhanced, and SNPID remained unchanged in the Nutri4 group, while none was changed in the CTRL following a respective diet. PORH decreased after administration of indomethacin in Nutri4 after dietary protocol. Protein expression of COX-2 was significantly higher in the Nutri4 group compared to the CTRL after the dietary protocol. CONCLUSION: Consumption of enriched eggs improves microvascular EDV in healthy young subjects. Results suggest an element of n-3 PUFAs metabolites via the cyclooxygenases pathway in enhanced reactive hyperemia.

Prolonged Egg Supplement Advances Growing Child's Growth and Gut Microbiota.

Protein-energy malnutrition still impacts children's growth and development. We investigated the prolonged effects of egg supplementation on growth and microbiota in primary school children. For this study, 8-14-year-old students (51.5% F) in six rural schools in Thailand were randomly assigned into three groups: (1) whole egg (WE), consuming 10 additional eggs/week (n = 238) (n = 238); (2) protein substitute (PS), consuming yolk-free egg substitutes equivalent to 10 eggs/week (n = 200); and (3) control group (C, (n = 197)). The outcomes were measured at week 0, 14, and 35. At the baseline, 17% of the students were underweight, 18% were stunted, and 13% were wasted. At week 35, compared to the C group the weight and height difference increased significantly in the WE group (3.6 ± 23.5 kg, p < 0.001; 5.1 ± 23.2 cm, p < 0.001). No significant differences in weight or height were observed between the PS and C groups. Significant decreases in atherogenic lipoproteins were observed in the WE, but not in PS group. HDL-cholesterol tended to increase in the WE group (0.02 ± 0.59 mmol/L, ns). The bacterial diversity was similar among the groups. The relative abundance of Bifidobacterium increased by 1.28-fold in the WE group compared to the baseline and differential abundance analysis which indicated that Lachnospira increased and Varibaculum decreased significantly. In conclusion, prolonged whole egg supplementation is an effective intervention to improve growth, nutritional biomarkers, and gut microbiota with unaltered adverse effects on blood lipoproteins.

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Zinc Nanoparticles Prepared by Different Green Methods on Egg Production, Egg Quality, Bone Mineralization, and Antioxidant Capacity in Caged Layers.

The present study was planned to evaluate the effect of dietary zinc-oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles synthesized by different plant extracts on egg production, egg quality, bone mineralization, and antioxidant capacity in caged layers. Nanoparticles of ZnO were synthesized by using extracts of Allium sativum (AS), Aloe vera (AV), Curcuma longa (CL), and Zingiber officinale (ZO). Different sources of nano ZnO (AS, AV, CL, and ZO) with varying levels (35, 70, or 105 ppm) were tested on 288 caged LSL layers of 25 weeks of age. Each diet was offered to 4 replicates of 6 birds each level and the duration of trial was 8 weeks. Daily egg production, feed consumption, and fortnightly egg quality parameters were recorded. Egg quality parameters (egg weight, egg mass, shape index, yolk index, albumen index, Haugh unit score, specific gravity, and eggshell thickness) were determined fortnightly by taking 2 eggs from each replicate randomly. Antioxidant capacity and bone mineralization were determined at the end of the trial. Results showed that the nano ZnO preparations were not effective (P < 0.05) on laying performance but additional levels (70 ppm) improved egg production, feed conversion ratio, egg mass, Haugh unit score, and antioxidant capacity of chickens. An interaction was found among nanoparticles prepared by Allium sativum and Zingiber officianale extracts with 70 ppm level regarding total antioxidant capacity and egg production (P > 0.05). Interaction among source and level was not found regarding feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg quality, bone characteristics, and concentration of Zn. Results of the present study suggest that nano ZnO sources may not be a factor that affects performance, but level affects the birds' physiology. Thus, it is concluded that nano ZnO with 70 ppm concentration is sufficient to optimize the laying performance.

The immune-supportive diet in allergy management: A narrative review and proposal.

The role of nutrition is increasingly recognized in the management of chronic immune diseases. However, the role of an immune-supportive diet as adjuvant therapy in the management of allergic disease has not been similarly explored. This review assesses the existing evidence for a relationship between nutrition, immune function, and allergic disease from a clinical perspective. In addition, the authors propose an immune-supportive diet to enhance dietary interventions and complementing other therapeutic options for allergic disease from early life to adulthood. A narrative review of the literature was conducted, to determine the evidence of the relationship between nutrition and immune function, overall health, epithelial barrier function, and gut microbiome, particularly in relation to allergy. Studies on food supplements were excluded. The evidence was assessed and utilized to develop a sustainable immune-supportive diet to complement other therapies in allergic disease. The proposed diet consists of a highly diverse range of fresh, whole, and minimally processed plant-based and fermented foods supplemented with moderate amounts of nuts, omega-3-rich foods and animal-based products in proportional amounts of the EAT-Lancet diet, such as (fatty) fish, (fermented) milk products which may be full-fat and eggs, lean meat or poultry, which may be free-range or organic.

Alternative additives associated in the feeding of laying hens: performance, biometrics, bone traits, and economic evaluation-an unsupervised machine learning approach.

Given the current bans on the use of some growth promoting antibiotics in poultry nutrition, the need to use alternative additives which could replace traditional promoters in diets has arisen. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of alternative additives, associated or not, in replacing the antibiotic growth promoter in the diets of laying hens on performance, egg quality, biometry, bone characteristics, and economic viability. A total of 378 birds at 97 weeks of age, weighing 1691 ± 80g with an average production of 79.96 ± 4.9%, were randomly distributed and submitted to different diets: negative control - NC (no additive); positive control - PC, conventional growth promoter (Enramycin); associated organic acids (OA); symbiotic (S); Essential oil (EO); OA + S; and S+EO. The diet did not influence (P > 0.05) performance, egg quality, biometry, and bone traits. However, the use of alternative additives and their associations with the exception of S+OA, provided better economic indices when compared to NC and CP. The first component showed a negative relationship between feed conversion per mass and dozen eggs with gut length, Seedor index, egg production, and egg mass; the second component showed a positive relationship between yolk, pancreas, proventriculus, and gizzard; and, finally, the third component showed that feed consumption has a negative relationship with bone strength and deformity. The first two canonical functions were significant and discriminated 100% of the differences between the diets. Moreover, 50% of the birds were correctly classified in their group of origin, in which the positive control group (83.3%) and OA+S presented the highest rates of correct responses (66.7%). Bone deformity and bowel length were the only two variables with discriminatory power. Natural growth promoters alone or in association do not harm performance, egg quality, digestive organs biometry or bird bone characteristics, in addition to promoting greater economic return. Thus, they can be considered possible substitutes for traditional antibiotics. Finally, unsupervised machine learning methods are useful statistical techniques to study the relationship of variables and point out the main biomarkers of poultry production.

Interactive effects of dietary supplementation between illite and probiotic on productive performance, intestinal microflora, and blood profiles of laying hens.

This study investigates the interactive effects of dietary illite and probiotic on productive performance, intestinal microflora, and blood profiles of laying hens. A total of 432 laying hens at 24 weeks old were allotted into six dietary groups. An experimental design was composed with a 3 (illite levels: 0, 0.3, and 0.6%) × 2 (probiotic levels: 0 and 0.2%). The probiotic based on Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and B. licheniformis was used. There were interactions between illite and probiotic on total microbes and salmonella of digesta. Higher egg production was observed in hens fed a diet supplemented with either 0.6% illite or 0.2% probiotic than in those fed a basal diet. The total microbes of the group fed a diet with 0.6% illite were lower than the groups fed diets with 0 and 0.3% illite. A lower number of Escherichia coli was observed in hens fed a diet with probiotic than those fed a basal diet. Higher immunoglobulin G concentration was observed in the group fed a diet supplemented with 0.6% illite than in those fed a basal diet. Our results suggest illite and probiotic can be used as feed additives for hens, separately or in combination to improve performance and intestinal microflora.