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ABSTRACT: The effectiveness of rice protein coatings enriched with essential oils on maintaining interior quality of fresh eggs was evaluated during storage at 20°C for 6 wk. Egg quality was assessed by weight loss, Haugh unit (HU), albumen pH, and yolk index (YI) in uncoated eggs (control treatment) and eggs coated with rice protein concentrate at 8% enriched or not with different essential oils (1%): tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), copaíba (Copaifera langsdorffii), or thymo (Thymus vulgaris). The HU and YI were higher in coated eggs (P < 0.001). Data were submitted to variance analysis, and the statistical models included the effects of treatments (coating types), storage periods (weeks), and interaction (treatments by storage periods). Weight loss increased (P < 0.001) during long-term storage. Uncoated eggs showed the highest weight loss (5.43%), whereas coatings of rice protein alone (4.23%) or enriched with tea tree (4.10%), copaíba (3.90%), and thymo (4.08%) solutions were effective in preventing weight lost (P < 0.001). The coating use preserved the internal quality of the eggs for up to 3 wk longer than uncoated eggs in terms of HU, YI, and pH. Uncoated eggs had the worst (P < 0.001) HU (58.46), albumen pH (9.48), and YI (0.33) after 6 wk of storage. In conclusion, the use of coatings based on rice protein concentrate enriched with different essential oils influences the internal quality of eggs during storage and may be an effective alternative for increasing the shelf life of commercial eggs.

The objective of this study was to characterize differences in the cecal microbiota of chickens vaccinated for coccidiosis or receiving salinomycin in the diet. In this study, 140 male 1-day-old broiler chickens were divided in 2 groups: vaccine group (live vaccine) vaccinated at the first day and salinomycin group (125 ppm/kg since the first day until 35 d of age). Each treatment was composed for 7 replicates of 10 birds per pen. At 28 d, the cecal content of one bird per replicate was collected for microbiota analysis. The genetic sequencing was conducted by the Miseq Illumina platform. Vaccine group showed lower body weight, weight gain, and poorer feed conversion in the total period (P < 0.05). Bacterial 16S rRNA genes were classified as 3 major phyla (Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria), accounting for more than 98% of the total bacterial community. The microbiota complexity in the cecal was estimated based on the α-diversity indices. The vaccine did not reduce species richness and diversity (P > 0.05). The richness distribution in the salinomycin group was larger and more uniform than the vaccinated birds. Salinomycin group was related to the enrichment of Bacteroidetes, whereas Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla were in greater proportions in the vaccine group. The last phylum includes a wide variety of pathogenic bacteria. The vaccine did not decrease the species richness but decreased the percentage of Bacteroidetes, a phylum composed by genera that produce short-chain fatty acids improving intestinal health. Vaccine group also had higher Proteobacteria phylum, which may help explain its poorer performance.