Thicker Shell Eggs with Enriched N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Lower Yolk Cholesterol Contents, as Affected by Dietary Nettle (Urtica cannabina) Supplementation in Laying Hens

文献类型： 外文期刊

第一作者： Zhang, Jize

作者： Zhang, Jize;Na, Ta;Zhang, Xiaoqing;Qu, Hui;Zhang, Qian;Jin, Yanmei

作者机构：

关键词： Urtica cannabina; n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; egg quality; cholesterol

期刊名称：ANIMALS （ 影响因子：2.752； 五年影响因子：2.942 ）

ISSN： 2076-2615

年卷期： 2020 年 10 卷 11 期

页码：

收录情况： SCI

摘要： Simple Summary The nettle Urtica cannabina (U. cannabina) belongs to the Urticaceae (nettle) family in the major group Angiosperms (flowering plants); it is distributed worldwide in temperate regions. While it was previously considered to be a weed, increasing evidence suggests that it is a valuable nutrient resource and has multiple biological functions when included in both human and animal diets. U. cannabina was given to laying hens in this experiment to study its effect on the hens' performance, egg quality, yolk fatty acids composition, and serum biochemical parameters. The results revealed that dietary supplementation with U. cannabina has the potential to produce high-quality eggs. The data collected in this experiment can be used to inform further use of this plant to improve the lipid profile and fatty acid composition of eggs produced by hens fed on U. cannabina. The nettle Urtica cannabina (U. cannabina) is not only a functional edible food for humans but also a potential alternative feed resource for poultry, providing protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary U. cannabina on the production of high-quality eggs with enriched n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and lower cholesterol contents. One hundred and twenty laying hens were assigned to three groups [control, 15% alfalfa meal supplementation (TRTA), and 15% U. cannabina supplementation (TRTU)]. The results showed that the feed intake, yolk color, and shell thickness were increased (p < 0.05) in the U. cannabina group. Moreover, cholesterol contents of the yolk and serum were lower in the U. cannabina group (p < 0.05). The total n-3 PUFA concentration in the yolk was increased while the ratio of n-6/n-3 was reduced in the U. cannabina group (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the dietary inclusion of U. cannabina increased shell thickness, yolk n-3 PUFA levels, and yolk color, and reduced cholesterol contents of the yolk and serum without any negative impacts on health or laying performance.

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