Abstract
Enrichment of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in egg yolk via diets alternationhas been considered worldwide. The concentrations of alpha-linolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) in the yolk can reachup to 250 mg/50 g whole egg. Corn germ meal (CGM), a rich source of ALA, iswidely used for omega-3 enrichment; however, the impact of dietary corn germ source: corn germ oil (CGO) and CGM on fatty acid transfer to egg yolk in laying hens is still a little known. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the transfer of ALA, EPA, and DHA into egg yolk from extracted corn germ oil or corn germ meal. A total of 132 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens (from 25 to 33 wks. old) were randomly housed with 3 birds/cage (4 replicates/treatment) for each of the 11 treatment groups. Diets were isocaloric and consisted of a control diet, 5 corn germ oil diets (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, or 5.0% corn germ oil), and 5 corn germ meal diets (calculated corn germ oil concentration from corn germ meal 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0%). Increasing dietary concentrations of corn germ oil and corngerm meal resulted in increased ALA, EPA, and DHA concentration in egg yolk, total fatty acid deposition from corn germ oil was 2 times greater than that of corn germ meal when fed at the same dietary inclusions (P < 0.01) but EPA and DHA concentrationsin egg yolk were not different due to oil or meal source (P = 0.22); however, increasing dietary inclusion rates of corn germ oil from either source increased yolk EPA and DHA (P < 0.01).Hens fed either corn germ oil or corngerm meal resulted in reduction of BW as dietary concentrations increased (P = 0.02). Feed efficiency increased as corn germ oil increased in concentration, while feeding corn germ meal decreased feed efficiency (P = 0.01). Analysis of the nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) of corn germ oil resulted in 7,468 kcal/kg on an as-fed basic. Dietary corn germ oil improved feed efficiency and increased ALA deposition into yolk compared to that of the meal source, demonstrating that corn germ oil to be a viable alternative for ALA egg enrichment.
Citation
Hoan ND, Khoa MA (2019) Omega-3 Fatty Acid Enrichment Capacity in Egg Yolks from Laying Hens Fed either Corn Germ Oil or Corn Germ Meal. JSM Vet Med Res 2: 7.