Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) supplemented in diet of laying hens increase lutein and astaxanthin content and quality parameters in yolk eggs fresh

Abstract

Egg, a high-value food, available and versatile is a good way to improve the status of antioxidant and essential nutrients for human nutrition through strategic design of layers diet that promote the sustainability of eggs chain. Alfalfa, is a good vehicle for enriching the yolk in antioxidant as lutein and astaxanthin with potential effect on the nutritional value and quality of yolks. In this work it was included alfalfa in different forms: fresh and dried (55ºC, T1), as silo pack (T2), and as pellets from fresh and dried (T3) in a 1% of a conventional diet (C). 15 hens (Novogen, 60 weeks of age) were allocated to each treatment and fed for 28 days. Eggs were sampled during three consecutive days at the beginning and the last week of the trial, broken on a glass surface and albumen height was measured and Haugh unit was calculated. For lutein and astaxanthin determination yolks were extracted with methanol: THF:BHT (50:49.05:0.05) and filtered. Extract filtered with 0.45 μm was injected in a HPLC Prominence LC-20A, with diode array and column C30 (250 x 4,6 mm, YMC Carotenoid S-5 μm) with external standard. The results are expressed as μg in 100 grams of yolk. At the end of trial, after 28 days of supplementation, lutein was for C:1772; T1:2353; T2:1910 and T3:2175 μg/100g resulting T1 and T3 higher significantly (p<0.01) than C. Astaxanthin was for C: 127; T1:161; T2:129 and T3:145 μg/100 g resulting T1 and T3 higher significantly than C and T2 (p<0.05). HU was significantly (p<0.05) higher with alfalfa supplementation from T1 and T3 related to C. Alfalfa supplemented at 1% as fresh dried or pellets with fresh dried as a good way to improve antioxidant status of yolk impacting positively the egg quality.