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The use of medicinal plants is gaining popularity all over the world; hence there is a need to exploit various plants that could be of economic importance to animal. This study was conducted to investigate the utilization of Centella asiatica leaf meal (CALM) as feed additive in layers production. The study was carried out in two phases, the grower phase and layer phase. A total number of 150 birds were used at 10 birds per replicate of 3 replicates per treatments of a total of 5 treatments. The diets contained CALM at five levels of inclusion 0.0 % (control), 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8% at grower and layer phases. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design layout. Hence, CALM showed potentials of being natural growth promoting additive. CALM used as additive at 0.2-0.8% inclusion level significantly increased (p<0.05) final live weight, weight gain and improved feed conversion ratio at grower and layer phases. 0.6% inclusion of CALM increased packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb) and 0.8% inclusion of CALM increased red blood cell (RBC) values at grower phase. At layer phase, 0.6% inclusion of CALM significantly increased (p<0.05) PCV and RBC while 0.8% CALM significantly increased (p<0.05) haemoglobin (Hb) value but there was significant reduction (p<0.05) in total bacteria count (TBC) at the caecum and ileum of birds at grower and layer phases respectively. 0.8% CALM inclusion resulted in significantly highest (p<0.05) weight of eggs, hen day egg production at 4th, 8th and 12th week in lay. 0.6% inclusion of CALM significantly improved (p<0.05) egg weight and yolk weight score at 12th weeks in lay. It can be concluded that the inclusion of CALM in the diets of Isa Brown birds, resulted in better blood profile, haematological and serum biochemical parameters, gut microbial population, egg production and quality of laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that presents in most fluids and all tissues in the human body and plays a crucial role in human body activities. Herein, an enzymatic biosensor based on the modification of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with tyrosine hydroxylase (TryHAS) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) fabricated and utilized to monitor tyrosine in food samples. The rGO/TryHAS/GCE offered powerful catalytic activity for sensing tyrosine with a linear dynamic range of 0.001–345 µM, and a detection limit of 0.7 nM. Furthermore, the selectivity of rGO/TryHAS/GCE was assessed for monitoring tyrosine in an aqueous solution, and the findings revealed a high selectivity in the sensing process. In the final step, rGO/TryHAS/GCE was utilized for the determination of tyrosine in real food samples including egg and cheese, with acceptable recovery data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors were prepared for the detection of amoxicillin from the commercial and local chicken eggs by using molecular imprinting technique. Amoxicillin imprinted poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐methacrylic acid) polymeric film was synthesized onto the surface of the SPR and QCM chips by ultra violet polymerization to determine lower concentrations of amoxicillin. Ellipsometry, contact angle analysis, and atomic force microscopy measurements were used for the surface morphology of the polymeric film layer. The ellipsometric thickness of AMOX imprinted and nonimprinted SPR and QCM chip surfaces were measured as 35 ± 0.9 nm, 32.89 ± 1.9 nm, 30 ± 0.6 nm, and 28 ± 0.22 nm, respectively. Contact angles of bare gold surfaces, AMOX imprinted SPR and QCM chip surfaces were measured to be as 82.3° ± 0.15, 79.2° ± 0.14, 75.01° ± 1.07, and 69.11° ± 0.89, respectively. The range of linearity was measured as 0.1 to 10 ng/mL for amoxicillin imprinted SPR and QCM sensors. The maximum residue limit of AMOX in eggs is at 10 µg/kg in accordance with the "Positive List System for Agricultural Chemical Residues in Foods." The response time for the test, including adsorption, desorption, and regeneration, was approximately 45 min. The limit of detections for SPR and QCM sensors were found to be 0.0005 and 0.0023 ng/mL, respectively. The reusabilities of amoxicillin imprinted SPR and QCM sensors were observed by the equilibration‐binding‐regeneration. Validation studies of the AMOX imprinted SPR and QCM sensors were performed by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eggs are of the few naturally occurring foods that meet the needs of human body in a balanced manner. The present study was conducted to determine the rate of egg per capita consumption in Tehran city in 2018. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 4.213 heads of families living in 22 regions of Tehran. Selected randomly using multistage cluster sampling method. The research data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire completed by interviews. Results: Mean egg consumption per person was 2.58 per week and 134 per capita (95%CI; 134- 137). Moreover, 39.59% of the participants believed that brown-shelled eggs had a higher nutritional value and 61.99% were unaware about the presence of omega 3-enriched eggs. Concerning the participants' attitudes towards egg consumption effective factors, the 'recommendations of physicians and nutritionists to use eggs' and knowing about harmlessness of cholesterol found in eggs' received the mean highest scores of 3.47 and 3.31, respectively. Conclusion: Per capita consumption of eggs among families in Tehran was much lower than the recommended standards. Physicians and nutritionists are recommended to try to raise the community awareness about the nutritional value and correct the misconceptions about egg cholesterol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to review the literature on the antioxidant properties of egg and processed eggs. One of the important biological functions of egg is dietary antioxidant. Bioactive peptides from egg have been shown to prevent some chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and age related macular degenerative conditions which have been associated with oxidative stress. These bioactive peptides in egg are released during digestion in the gastrointestinal tract when consumed. Bioactive peptides can also be derived from egg proteins through enzymatic hydrolysis using enzymes such as alcalase. The resulting hydrolysates also have antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we investigated the effect of galangal extract on the lipid oxidation, antioxidant activity and fatty acid composition of salted duck eggs. Three groups of salted duck eggs were comparatively assessed: salted duck egg enriched with 0.1% and 0.5% (w/v) of galangal extract and salted duck egg without galangal extract as a control. Results showed that galangal extract significantly reduced 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances from 1.60 mg MDA kg−1 to 1.07 mg MDA kg−1 and anisidine values from 67.55 to 53.64 at the end of salting time, moreover, decrease in the levels of conjugated dienes were also noticed from 0.018 to 0.007% during the salting time compared to the control group. Furthermore, galangal extract along with salting time also had significant effects on the fatty acid composition. Oleic acid, followed by palmitic acid and margaric acid, were the predominant fatty acids found in salted duck eggs supplemented with galangal extract after 14 days of salting process. Results of DPPH-scavenging activity indicated that salted duck eggs supplemented with 0.5% (w/v) galangal extract had significantly higher antioxidant activity (p < 0.05) than control at 28th day of salting. Further, analysis of electronic nose revealed that the addition of galangal extract could provide unique flavor to salted eggs during the curing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined reference levels of minerals, fatty acids, and fat-soluble micronutrients in eggs from wild Attwater's Tympanuchus cupido attwateri and two (Minnesota, Nebraska) greater prairie-chicken T. c. pinnatus populations for comparison with eggs produced by captive Attwater's prairie-chickens to help guide formulation and evaluation of captive diets. Levels of all minerals found in wild Attwater's prairie-chicken eggs were similar to those in at least one of the two greater prairie-chicken populations, but these levels frequently differed between the two greater prairie-chicken populations. Ratios for n-6:n-3 fatty acids were >3 times higher for Minnesota greater prairie-chickens, which had more access to waste grain than Attwater's or Nebraska greater prairie-chickens. Captive eggs had n-6:n-3 ratios 6.7 times the pooled wild samples, while wild eggs had higher levels of anhydrolutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene, and total carotenoids. More magnesium, zinc, and manganese were observed in wild eggs compared with those produced in captivity. Flaxseed was added to the captive breeder diet in an attempt to lower egg n-6:n-3 ratios, along with additional carotenoids found in marigold extract. These dietary modifications successfully lowered the n-6:n-3 ratio by 46%, but this ratio was still 3.6 times higher in captive eggs, consistent with the grain-based formulation of the breeder diet. Carotenoid additions successfully raised total carotenoids, but increases were primarily for lutein and not zeaxanthin or β-carotene as intended. Variability in egg nutrient composition among the three wild populations suggests that some tolerance exists in maternal diets, but impacts to offspring fitness are unknown. Given the purported importance of maternal nutrition to fitness of embryos and neonate chicks, we suggest additional research is needed to quantify the influence of key nutrient levels on offspring fitness for both captive and wild populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predation is the main source of mortality during the larval stage of marine fishes. Previous work has shown a correlation between measures of performance related to predator evasion and fatty acid (FA) composition of marine fish larvae, and that the latter can be influenced by both larval diet and maternally-derived nutrition (yolk). This study aimed to determine the relationships between FA composition of eggs, FA composition of the larval body, and predator evasion performance of southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma. Larvae hatched from eggs differing in FA composition were reared under common garden conditions to 15 and 35 days posthatching (dph) when measurements of routine swimming and responsiveness to a simulated looming predator were made. Larval responsiveness to the predatory stimulus was positively correlated with the FA ratios DHA: ARA and DHA: EPA in whole larvae at 15 and 35 dph, respectively. The amount of omega-3 docosapentaenoic acid (22:5(n-3)) in the egg was correlated, though not significantly, with the amount of DHA in the larval body at 15 dph (r = −0.51, P = 0.052), and was significantly correlated with the amount of DHA in the larval body at 35 dph (r = −0.62, P = 0.031). These results provide evidence of metabolic programming in southern flounder, and suggest that maternally derived nutrients indirectly influence larval mortality in the wild. • Fatty acid composition of larvae is correlated with predator evasion success. • Ratios of EFAs in the larval body significantly correlated with larval quality. • Maternally-derived nutrients influence larval body fatty acid composition. • Maternal diet may influence larval mortality by predation in the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Volatiles of shell eggs were identified by SPME-GC–MS to characterize and discriminate white Leghorn (W), Hy-line brown (H) and Jing fen (J) hatching eggs with comparison, principal components (PC), partial least squares (PLS), random forest classification (RFC) and canonical discriminant (CD) analyses. DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber and extraction 60 min were suited to analyze the volatiles emitted from eggs. A total of 17 or 18 volatile compounds were identified in raw shell hatching eggs, namely, nonanal, decanal and 6-methly-5-hepten-2-one were the main volatile components with contributions that over 70%. The composition and/or profile of volatile compounds from W and H eggs were much more similar than J eggs. Hexanal, decanal, 6-methly-5-hepten-2-one, heptanal, etc. have greatly contributed to the distinction of W, H and J eggs in sparse (S)-PLS and orthogonal (O)-PLS models. The accuracy of RFC and CD model were 100%, 100% (initial) and 83.3% (cross-validation), respectively. Heptanal, 6-methly-5-hepten-2-one, octanal, etc. were contributed positively to the classification of W, H, J eggs in RFC, especially for heptanal. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber and extraction 60 min were suited to analyze the volatiles of raw shell hatching eggs by SPME-GC-MS. • Nonanal, decanal, 6-methly-5-hepten-2-one, levomethol, cedrene, etc. 17/18 VOCs were found in raw shell hatching eggs. • Hexanal, decanal, 6-methly-5-hepten-2-one, heptanal, cedrene showed high positive influence on the variation of W, H, J eggs. • The accuracy of classification among W, H, J eggs in RFC, CD models were 100%, and in cross validation of CD model was 83.3%. • Heptanal may be used as an indicator to discriminate eggs with different breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The egg is considered one of the most nutritious animal origin foods, being a perfectly balanced source of protein, easily digestible fats, energy, minerals, and vitamins. Significant differences between organic and conventional eggs cover feed, medication, and animal welfare of hens. The study's purpose was the quantitative determination of Cd, Pb, and Zn from organic eggs and conventional eggs, and also from the organic feed. The heavy metals levels in organic eggs, conventional eggs, and organic feed samples were evaluated by AAS. Zn registered levels below the method's detection limit in organic eggs samples, and its levels were significantly lower compared to the maximum allowed level in EU for it in eggs, but higher compared to recommended levels in organic feed. Cd was significantly lower in organic eggs compared to their levels in conventional eggs. Pb registered significantly lower levels in organic feed, and Cd was higher compared to the maximum allowed level in EU for it in this type of feed. Conventional purchased eggs exceed the maximum EU allowed level for Pb and Cd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This was a comparative study of the heavy metal levels (Zn, Pb, Cd, Co, Mn, Fe, Cr and Cu) in eggs from free grazing duck, small-scale, and large-scale farms in central and western regions of Thailand. A questionnaire was used to gather demographic data for the analysis of heavy metal contamination in feed, drinking water and wastewater. The correlation between the amounts of heavy metal contamination in eggs was studied against the heavy metals found in feed, drinking water and wastewater. The levels of Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu in eggs from large-scale farms were significantly higher than small farms and free grazing farms at P < 0.001. Zn in eggs from free grazing farms was higher than in the small farms and large-scale farms sampled. The contamination of Pb in eggs from all types of farms exceeded the standard limits of ACFS 6703–2005. The average levels of Pb in the eggs from small-scale farms correlated significantly with the level of Pb found in the feed at P < 0.05, while the average levels of Pb in eggs from free grazing duck farms correlated significantly with the levels of Pb found in the drinking water at P < 0.05. Additionally, the average level of Cu in duck egg from large-scale farms correlated significantly with the level of Cu found in the feeds at P < 0.001. Furthermore, from a calculation of the provisional tolerable daily intake (WHO-FAO) of heavy metals in this study, it was concluded that consumers face health risks from Cd contamination. Thus, heavy metal contamination, especially Pb and Cd in duck egg, must be of concern due to the health risks and the route of crucial heavy metals contamination should be elucidated and long - term monitoring of heavy metals posing health effects in farm systems should be carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to study the reproductive characteristics of the Nile crocodile and Siamese crocodiles after introduction into China since the time this occurred near the end of the last century. The data for the eggs and young crocodiles (recently hatched crocodiles) of two introduced species were collected at a Sanya crocodile breeding farm in Hainan. The characteristic variables of crocodile eggs were statistically analyzed, and the results indicated that: egg mass of the Nile and Siamese crocodile was significantly correlated with the egg length and width. Regression analyses were used to develop the linear equation between the egg length, egg width and egg mass. There was a strong positive correlation between the egg mass and initial weight of young crocodiles. The linear equation for assessing egg mass and initial weight of young crocodile was developed for regression analyses. There was no significant linear relationship between clutch size and egg characteristics. Mating time of the Nile crocodile in Hainan (November-April) and the spawning season (March-May) are significantly earlier than in the Zimbabwe region of origin. The average of clutch size and the mean size of eggs for Nile crocodiles in their native habitat is greater than the introduced region as indicated by analyzing data using a two-sample t-test. The Siamese crocodile spawning time was similar in the Hainan and Zimbabwe regions, but the size of clutches and the mean size of eggs in the introduced region were greater than in their native region as indicated by results using a two-sample t-test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of rearing system and hen's age on quality and chemical composition of eggs. The tested rearing systems were: cage, floor and organic (30 birds Isa Brown hybrid per group). Fifteen eggs per group were collected for analyses in each of three phases of the productive cycle (32, 48 and 72 weeks hen's age). In these samples were investigated external (egg weight and egg shape index), internal (albumen height, Haugh unit and yolk colour) and chemical composition of eggs (dry matter, minerals, protein and lipids content). The general conclusion is that the egg weight and Roche values were increased, while egg shape index, albumen height and Haugh unit were decreased with hen's age. Organic eggs had higher albumen height and more Haugh units in the 48 and 64 weeks compared to the floor and cage eggs. Yolk colour of the floor and cage hens most dependent on the hen's age, on the other hand - yolk colour of organic hens most dependent on the grass availability at the outlet. Eggs from the organic rearing system had a lower dry matter, proteins and lipid content as compared to the cage system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Egg is one of the most nutritious foods that is easily available and it has become a favorite source of major nutrients like lipids and proteins around the world. However, eggs can trigger severe allergic reactions, especially in infants and children. The reactions are mostly IgE-mediated with a range of symptoms related to nose and throat and further can lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis. A total of ten allergens have been recognized to date and researchers are actively working on understanding their structure-function relationship which could help reduce the allergy incidences. Major egg allergens are abundant in egg white which include ovalbumin (OA), ovomucoid (OVM), ovotransferrin (OVT) and lysozyme (Lys). In addition to allergens, avidin present in egg white is also extensively studied due to its anti-nutritional properties. Avidin is known to form a complex with biotin which makes it unavailable for absorption. Scope and approach This review focuses on the effects of thermal and non-thermal processing methods on the structure and functional properties of various egg proteins including a wide range of allergens and anti-nutrients. Key findings and conclusions Novel processing techniques including various non-thermal techniques show promising results in reducing the allergic reactions of egg. Anti-nutrients like avidin can be partly inactivated under combined high-pressure processing and heat treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of acoustic signals of rolling eggs on an inclined plate and impulse response for nondestructive detection of eggshell crack was investigated. Discriminations of hairline cracked and star cracked eggs from intact ones were carried out using artificial neural network. Ten features were used based on one-way ANOVA F-test statistics. According to the result, holdout detection accuracy of the inclined plate and impulse response methods were 92.3% and 94.6%, respectively. The results indicated that these two methods were potentially useful for discrimination of eggs according to detection of different eggshell cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genotoxicity of flavor and fragrance materials was assessed in Turkey Egg Genotoxicity Assay (TEGA) using 32 P-nucleotide postlabeling (NPL) and comet assays to detect hepatic DNA adducts and strand breaks. Twenty materials having results in GADD45a-Gluc ‘BlueScreen HC’ genotoxicity assay, and standard in vitro and in vivo tests, were selected to evaluate the accuracy of TEGA. Quinoline (QUI) and 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) served as positive comparators. Two materials, p-tert-butyldihydrocinnamaldehyde (BDHCA) and methyl eugenol (MEU) produced DNA adducts. BDHCA, p-t-butyl-α-methylhydrocinnamic aldehyde (BMHCA), trans-2-hexenal (HEX) and maltol (MAL) produced DNA strand breaks. Fifteen other materials were negative in both assays. Based on reports of oxidative DNA damage induction by MAL and 4-hydroxy-2.5-dimethyl-3(2H) furanone (HDMF), modified comet assays were conducted. Positive comet findings for MAL were not confirmed, and only equivocal evidence of oxidative damage was found. Accordingly, MAL was judged to have equivocal genotoxicity in TEGA. HDMF was positive in modified comet assay, indicating an ability to produce oxidative DNA damage. TEGA showed modest concordance with results in regulatory in vitro assays. Findings in TEGA, with few exceptions, were concordant with the results of in vivo genotoxicity and carcinogenicity testing. Thus, TEGA is an attractive alternative model for the assessment of genotoxic potential of chemicals in vivo . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIMS: To determine the plasma disposition and concentrations of ivermectin (IVM) in eggs produced by laying hens following S/C, oral and I/V administration. METHODS: Twenty-four laying hens, aged 37 weeks and weighing 1.73 (SD 0.12) kg were allocated to three groups of eight birds. The injectable formulation of IVM was administered either orally, S/C, or I/V, at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg liveweight, following dilution (1:5, v/v) with propylene glycol. Heparinised blood samples were collected at various times between 0.25 hours and 20 days after drug administration. Eggs produced by hens were also collected daily throughout the study period. Samples of plasma and homogenised egg were analysed using HPLC. RESULTS: Maximum concentrations of IVM in plasma and mean residence time of IVM were lower after oral (10.2 (SD 7.2) ng/mL and 0.38 (SD 0.14) days, respectively) than after S/C (82.9 (SD 12.4) ng/mL and 1.05 (SD 0.24) days, respectively) administration (p<0.01). The time to maximum concentration and elimination half-life were shorter following oral (0.14 (SD 0.04) and 0.23 (SD 0.11) days, respectively) than S/C (0.25 (SD 0.00) and 1.45 (SD 0.45) days, respectively) administration (p<0.01). IVM was first detected in eggs 2 days after treatment in all groups and was detected until 8 days after oral and I/V administration, and until 15 days after S/C administration. Peak concentrations of IVM were 15.7, 23.3 and 1.9 µg/kg, observed 2, 5 and 4 days after I/V, S/C and oral administration, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The low plasma bioavailability of IVM observed after oral administration in laying hens could result in lower efficacy or subtherapeutic plasma concentrations, which may promote the development of parasitic drug resistance. Due to high IVM residues in eggs compared to the maximum residue limits for other food-producing animal species, a withdrawal period should be necessary for eggs after IVM treatment in laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted in two separate experiments. Experiment I was conducted to investigate the effects of hemp seed ( HS) on meat quality traits, and experiment II was designed to determine egg fatty acid (FA) composition in Japanese quail ( Coturnix coturnix japonica). In experiment I and experiment II treatments, groups were as follows: (i) control (not included HS0), (ii) 5% HS inclusion to diets, (iii) 10% HS inclusion to diets and (iv) 20% HS inclusion to diets. In experiment I, a total of 192 7-day-old-quail were fed with HS diets for 5 weeks, and end of the experiment I, a total of 64 quail (16 each) slaughtered and meat samples were analysed for meat colour, pH, cooking and thawing loss and FA composition. In experiment II, a total of 120 8-week-old laying quail were fed with experimental diets for 6 weeks and egg FA composition were determined. Breast meat cooking loss was significantly lower in 20% supplemented group (p < 0.01). Hemp seed inclusion to diets caused a linear and cubic increase in redness ( a*) of hip meat (p < 0.01). Palmitoleic and oleic FAs were decreased with HS addition in breast meat (p < 0.05); however, linoleic and linolenic acid contents of meat were linearly increased (p < 0.01). In experiment II, the linoleic and linolenic FA contents of egg samples were linearly increased with increasing the dietary HS ratio (p < 0.01). Hemp seed addition was provided lower palmitoleic and oleic FAs in quail eggs (p < 0.05). In conclusion, HS supplementation to quail diets may increase quail meat redness and meat and egg yolk omega-3 FA content and decrease cooking loss of quail meats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Rothstein (Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 11, 1982, 229) was one of the first comprehensive studies to examine how different egg features influence egg rejection behaviors of avian brood parasite–hosts. The methods and conclusions of Rothstein (1982) laid the foundation for subsequent experimental brood parasitism studies over the past thirty years, but its results have never been evaluated with replication. Here, we partially replicated Rothstein's (1982) experiments using parallel artificial model egg treatments to simulate cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism in American robin (Turdus migratorius) nests. We compared our data with those of Rothstein (1982) and confirmed most of its original findings: (1) robins reject model eggs that differ from the appearance of a natural robin egg toward that of a natural cowbird egg in background color, size, and maculation; (2) rejection responses were best predicted by model egg background color; and (3) model eggs differing by two or more features from natural robin eggs were more likely to be rejected than model eggs differing by one feature alone. In contrast with Rothstein's (1982) conclusion that American robin egg recognition is not specifically tuned toward rejection of brown‐headed cowbird eggs, we argue that our results and those of other recent studies of robin egg rejection suggest a discrimination bias toward rejection of cowbird eggs. Future work on egg recognition will benefit from utilizing a range of model eggs varying continuously in background color, maculation patterning, and size in combination with avian visual modeling, rather than using model eggs which vary only discretely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nile Crocodile is the largest predator on the African continent. Recent mass mortalities in the Kruger National Park (KNP) raised concerns about possible influence of pollution. We analysed eggs and their eggshells collected from nests inside the KNP and from a crocodile farm for metallic elements. We found that mercury, selenium, and copper occurred at levels of concern. Eggshells had very high concentrations of iron. Apart from toxicological implications associated with elevated concentrations in eggs, we found iron possibly contributing towards thicker eggshells. Thicker shells may act as a barrier to gas and water exchange, as well as possibly increasing the effort required for the hatchling to emerge from tightly packed shells under sand. Pollutants are transported into the KNP via rivers, and possibly via air. Mercury and copper pollution are waste-, industrial- and mining-related; ecotoxicological concern should therefore be extended to all areas where the four African crocodile species occur. Reptiles are under-represented in ecotoxicological literature in general, and especially from Africa. We know of only one previous report on metals and metalloids in crocodile eggs from Africa (Zimbabwe), published 30 years ago. Reduced fitness, endocrine disruption and effects on behaviour are other possible sub-lethal effects associated with metallic elements that may only become apparent decades later in a long-lived species such as the Nile Crocodile. In the face of habitat destruction, pollution, human population increases, and climate change, further research is needed regarding pollutant concentrations and effects in all African reptiles. The rivers that carry water from outside the park sustain its aquatic life, but also transport pollutants into the KNP. Therefore, improved source mitigation remains an important task and responsibility for all involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of the environment, namely due to pollution causes increasing impact on the organisms living on it, especially those at the top of the trophic chain. The accumulation of heavy metals such as mercury in live organisms may have a negative effect on the efficiency of reproduction. The aim of this study was to determine the mercury (Hg) content in muscles, ovaries and eggs during final maturation of gametes and after ovulation of European eel females. To this end, 65 (53 as treated and 12 as control) female European eels collected in Poland were analysed for mercury content. Eels were caught during commercial fishing activities in fresh water in the Warmia and Mazury region. Females were stimulated with carp pituitary homogenate (CPH) at 18 mg kg −1 , at 5-day intervals, for 20 weeks. The hormones were not given to the fish in the control group. The mercury content in tissues was determined by atomic absorption using a Milestone DMA-80 and analysis showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between the content of mercury in muscle, ovary and eggs. The total mercury concentration in females following spawning increased in muscles and ovaries. Female eel eggs (0.0031 ± 0.0003 mg kg −1 w/w) were found to contain eight times less mercury than their ovaries (0.026 ± 0.002 mg kg −1 w/w) and 78 times less than their muscles (0.24 ± 0.03 mg kg −1 w/w). The concentration of mercury in both muscles and ovaries in fish increases after spawning, which can additionally confirm that mercury is transmitted in small amounts from the mother's body to eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multiclass method was proposed for the simultaneous determination of various classes of veterinary drugs ( n  = 65), mycotoxins and metabolites ( n  = 39) in egg and milk by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The contaminants were extracted by QuEChERS-based strategy including salt-out partitioning and dispersive solid-phase extraction for cleanup further. With the aim of maximizing throughput and extraction efficiency, Plackett-Burman design was employed initially for screening significant variables. And response surface methodology based on central composite design was conducted to achieve optimal conditions in details: 3.35% ( v/v ) of formic acid in acetonitrile, 1.2 g of NaCl, 0.5 g of anhydrous NaAc, 300 mg of C18 and 140 mg of primary secondary amine. Satisfactory analytical characteristics in validation, in aspects of accuracy (70%–105% for mycotoxins and quinolones, 55%–80% for sulphonamides and 40%–105% for other veterinary drugs), precision (inter-day RSDs < 14%) and sensitivity (LOQs ranged from 0.01 μg/kg to 31 μg/kg), were achieved under the optimized conditions. The matrix effects were evaluated and compensated by the use of matrix-matched calibration curves ( R 2  > 0.987). In practice, 45 eggs and 30 milk samples were investigated by the established method, of which positive finding aflatoxin in milk and sterigmatocystin in eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of study was to evaluate the quality of hen eggs influenced by supplementation of copper with lysine chelate (CHL). The material consisted of eggs from two groups of Hy-Line Brown laying hens aged 300 days. Group I, negative control (NC), did not receive any additives. The hens from group II were treated with CHL at a dose of 30 mg Cu L-1 with drinking water. After 4 weeks of supplementation, 60 eggs from each group were randomly collected for quality analysis. The characteristics of the whole egg and its individual elements (shell, yolk, and albumen) were evaluated. The supplementation of CHL increased the egg weight, as well as the weight and height of albumen. There were no changes in the shell strength parameters, and its darker color may increase potential consumer acceptance, but requires confirmation by sensory analysis of the eggs. The copper addition was relatively small, but even this dose caused some changes in egg quality. Little changes in the mineral composition of individual elements of the eggs have been reported. It is therefore very important to continue research to find the smallest effective dose of this micronutrient, to study the duration of time it should be given in order to obtain the best quality of eggs, and to minimize the mineral disorders in organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to investigate the effects of dietary fenugreek seed extract (FSE) supplementation on egg production, egg quality, blood profiles, cecal microflora, and excreta noxious gas emission in laying hens. A total of 384 laying hens (26-weeks old, Hyline-brown) were fed three different levels of FSE (0, 0.05, and 0.1%) in a cornsoybean diet for 6 weeks. The inclusion of FSE in the laying hen diet did not affect egg production, feed intake, or feed conversion among treatments; however, egg weight, eggshell breaking strength, eggshell thickness, and yolk color increased in FSE-fed groups (linear, P＜0.05). Supplemental FSE decreased the serum total cholesterol concentration, whereas the HDL-cholesterol concentration increased in the FSE fed-groups (linear, P＜0.05). FSE led to an increase in cecal Lactobacillus number (linear, P＜0.05), and a decrease in Escherichia coli number (quadratic, P ＜0.05) and excreta ammonia gas emission (linear, P＜0.05). These results suggest that the addition of FSE does not increase egg production, but may affect egg quality, serum total- and HDL-cholesterol concentration, and cecal microflora. FSE also decreased ammonia gas emission in laying hen excreta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The differences between the trimethylamine (TMA) content levels in duck and chicken egg yolks under normal dietary conditions were compared. Moreover, the association between the polymorphisms of the duck FMO3 gene and TMA content levels in duck egg yolks was analyzed. Then, to detect the mutations associated with the fish‐flavor trait, duck populations were selected for a high‐choline diet experiment, which was followed by full‐length sequencing of the FMO3 exons. The results showed that the TMA content levels in duck eggs (3.60 μg/g) were significantly higher than those in chicken eggs (2.35 μg/g) under normal dietary conditions (P < 0.01). With regard to the high‐choline diet, the average TMA content levels in duck egg yolks (9.21 μg/g; P < 0.01) increased significantly. Furthermore, 5 SNPs reported in Ensembl database were detected in duck FMO3 exons. However, no mutation loci were found to be significantly associated with the TMA content levels in duck egg yolks. Besides, duck liver FMO3 mRNA expression levels were not associated with the TMA content levels. The results indicated that excessive TMA deposition in duck eggs is one of main factors causing the fishy odor in duck eggs, and the addition of choline in the ducks’ diets was responsible for inducing an increase in the TMA content levels in duck eggs. Practical Application: Our study can help to diminish the fishy taste in duck eggs by reducing the amount of supplemented choline. Furthermore, this study laid a solid foundation for revealing the genetic factors involved in the fishy odor in duck eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aging of the eggs beside that it has an influence of the internal and external changes that occur in the quality characteristics of eggs for consumption, also influence on the chemical composition of the egg. This change is expressed in the absolute and relative amounts of the eggs components, yolk color, and histologic structure. In this labour are shown the results of the examination of the chemical parameters (water, proteins, fat, minerals) of the eggs from two hybrid lineskept in different storage condition, room temperature (16°C) and in the refrigerator (4°C). The results for the changes of the chemical composition of egg white and egg yolk starting from 0th, 10th day, 21th, until 40th day of eggs storage indicate that changes depends primary from the surface of egg shell, temperature and storage dept. Gradually, as time passes by, the mean values of water content, of eggs storage from both hybrid lines decrease, which indicates increasing of the parameters of dry matter especially protein content of egg white. Higher variation during storage does not appear in the fat content of the eggs from the white egg shell and significant variation (p <0.01) is found in mineral from 10th dayuntil 40th day of eggs storage. The variation which is approximately 1% or lesswas notice in the mineral content of the eggs during storage from the both hybrid lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to assess the quality of eggs of the Araucana chickens kept in a semi-intensive system. The material for the study consisted of 110 eggs from Araucana chickens aged 24-60 weeks. The external characteristics of the egg, its morphological composition, and the chemical composition of the albumen and yolk were determined. The age of the hens was shown to influence the weight of the eggs and their shape. The shell constituted 12.1-14.1% of the weight of the egg, the albumen 51.1-54.3%, and the yolk 33.4-35.3%. No significant changes were observed in the proportions of individual morphological components as the laying period progressed, but a decrease in shell thickness was noted. Over the course of the laying period a significant decrease in dry matter was noted in the yolk, and within it in fat and cholesterol, from 51.4% to 48.5%, from 31.1% to 28.1%, and from 14.7 to 14.4 mg/g of yolk, respectively. The content of saturated fatty acids was found to increase with the age of the hens, while that of unsaturated fatty acids decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 540 Japanese quail eggs were in ovo injected threonine (THR) at day 11 of embryonic development to evaluate the effects of in ovo feeding of THR on the hatchability, somatic attributes, and gut morphology of hatchlings. A completely randomized experimental design with 9 treatments and 4 replicates of 15 eggs per replicate was used. The treatments were non-injected (control) eggs and those receiving in ovo injections of 0.05 or 0.1 ml of saline (diluent) with or without THR (5 mg/ml) in the air sac (IAS) or under the air sac (UAS). Although the number of hatched eggs injected with 0.05 ml diluent both with and without THR under the air sac was not significant in comparison to the control group, it was higher than that of the other injected treatments. Interestingly, the under air sac injection of 0.05 ml THR showed enhanced gut morphology in comparison with the other treatments. The dried yolk-free body weight of all chicks was not statistically significant. Overall, the present results suggest that the injection of 0.05 ml THR under the air sac may improve the intestinal morphology in newly hatched quail while having no negative effects on final yolk-free body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The solid bifunctional tungsten molybdenum supported calcium mixed oxide catalyst (W x -Mo y /CaO 0.3 ≤ x, 0.7 ≤ y) was synthesized by simple wet impregnation method. The prepared catalyst has successfully transesterified waste cooking oil to biodiesel in a single step reaction process, owing to its acid-base bifunctional capacity. Presence of acid and basic sites of the catalyst was believed to promote the catalytic activity for the transesterification reaction of high FFA waste cooking oil. The stoichiometric effect of transition bimetallic oxide loading on acid-base properties, surface area and porosity of the catalyst were studied. The catalytic activity of the catalyst for transesterification reaction increases with the increase in the W molar weight ratio over Mo from 0.3 to 0.7. The W0.6-Mo0.4/CaO catalyst recorded the highest biodiesel yield of 96.2% under reaction conditions of 15:1 methanol to oil molar ratio, 70 °C reaction temperature, 2 wt% catalyst loading and 2 h reaction time. The newly synthesized catalysts were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, vapour pressure scanning electron microscope (VP-SEM), temperature programmed desorption of CO 2 and NH 3 and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), has become a major pest. Seven experiments examined the nutrient content of their eggs in the context of female reproductive investment and use for experiments. Among 542 clusters examined, an average egg contained 23.50 ± 0.561 μg lipid, 3.17 ± 0.089 6g glycogen, and 3.08 ± 0.056 μg sugar. Mature eggs within a female's ovary can make up 61% of her total lipid, 35% of glycogen, and 20% of sugar levels. Eggs obtained from a colony reared on a steady diet are expected to have consistent nutrient content. The age of a parental female only slightly affected the lipid level of oviposited eggs but did not affect glycogen or sugar levels. However, egg nutrient content can differ substantially by the source of the parental females; wild eggs had higher lipid but lower sugar content than colony-produced eggs. Further, the length of time that eggs are frozen influenced egg nutrient content. Freshly laid eggs had higher lipid and lower sugar levels than eggs frozen for 1 or 2 yr. Whether an egg turned grey following removal from cold storage did not affect nutrient content, nor did being frozen within 1 or 3 d of oviposition. The temperature at which eggs were left exposed did not impact egg nutrient content, but glycogen decreased and sugar increased with deployment time. This information combined with how factors affect host selection by natural enemies will help refine future experiments that use BMSB egg clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green sea turtle ( Chelonia mydas) has been a species of global concern for decades. In this study, heavy metals (mercury: Hg; Cadmium: Cd; Lead: Pb; Copper: Cu; and Zinc: Zn) were measured in blood and three egg fraction of green sea turtles nesting on the northern coast of Sea of Oman. Heavy metals concentrations in blood, yolk, albumen, and egg shell ranged between 0.16-36.78, 0.006-33.88, 0.003-4.02, and 0.002-6.85 μg/g (ww), respectively. According to the results, all heavy metals found in blood samples ( n = 12) also were detected in the various parts of the eggs ( n = 48). Moreover, there were no significant differences between concentrations of heavy metals in different clutches laid in a nesting season. However, Pb concentrations in blood samples significantly increased in later clutches ( p < 0.05), whereas Cu concentrations in blood samples exhibit a declining trend ( p < 0.05). These results reveal the existence of maternal transfer phenomenon in green sea turtles on the northern coast of Sea of Oman. Results of this study suggest that heavy metals could be one of the factors influencing reductions in fertilization and hatching success. Results also indicate that green sea turtle on the northern coast of Sea of Oman have high capacity in rapid response and detoxification of heavy metals and/or from the low exposure levels of these turtles to the heavy metals. Further research is required concerning the effects of heavy metals on green sea turtles, especially on their possible influence of fetal development of turtles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The egg is a nutrient-dense food and contains antioxidative carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, but its impact on serum cholesterol levels has been a matter of concern, especially for individuals who have high serum cholesterol levels. We conducted this study to determine whether and how the daily additional consumption of one egg affects serum lipid profiles and parameters of LDL oxidation in moderately hypercholesterolemic males. Nineteen male Japanese adults (total cholesterol [TC] > 5.2 mmol/L) participated, consuming one soft boiled egg per day for 4 weeks in addition to their habitual diet. Despite the significant increase in their intake of dietary cholesterol during the intervention period, the subjects' serum concentrations of TC and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) did not increase. Their serum malondialdehyde modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) concentrations were significantly decreased and their LDL oxidation lag times, reflecting the resistance of free-radical-induced LDL lipid peroxidation ( ex vivo ), was prolonged after 2 and 4 weeks. At weeks 2 and 4, the subjects' serum lutein + zeaxanthin concentrations were significantly higher than their baseline values and showed both an inverse relation with MDA-LDL and a positive relationship with the LDL oxidation lag time. These data showed that in moderately hypercholesterolemic males, the additional consumption of one egg per day for 4 weeks did not have adverse effects on serum TC or LDL-C, and it might reduce the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation through an increase in the serum lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the effects of guanosine 5'-monophosphate (GMP)-chelated calcium and iron (CaFe-GMP) on health and egg quality in layers experimentally infected with Salmonella Gallinarum. In this study, a CaFe-GMP feed additive was added to a commercial layer feed and fed to layers over a four-week period. All were inoculated with Salmonella Gallinarum. Body weight, mortality, clinical symptoms, and poultry production including feed intake, egg production, egg loss, and feed conversion rate were observed, and Salmonella Gallinarum was re-isolated from the liver, spleen, and cecum of the layers. All tested internal organs for the CaFe-GMP additive group exhibited significantly lower re-isolation numbers of Salmonella Gallinarum and less severe pathological changes than those in the control group, indicating that the CaFe-GMP feed supplement induced bacterial clearance and increased resistance to Salmonella Gallinarum. Additionally, due to the inhibitory action of CaFe-GMP on the growth of Salmonella Gallinarum, the CaFe-GMP additive group exhibited better egg production, including a higher laying rate and fewer broken eggs. The results suggest that a 0.16% CaFe-GMP additive may help prevent salmonellosis in the poultry industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional composition of commercial eggs from Lohman Brown hens through fat and fatty acid content analysis, as well as to evaluate the effect of hen age on the above parameters. Egg samples (n=108) were collected every two weeks from 21- to 55- week old hens during the 2015/2016 autumn/winter period. The results revealed significant differences in fatty acid composition dependent on hen age (p < 0.05). When comparing eggs from the youngest, against those from the oldest hens, total saturated fatty acids (SFA) were found to be statistically significantly higher in the youngest hens (p < 0.05), whereas individual SFA shares did not statistically significantly differ between the two (p > 0.05). The total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content was statistically significantly higher in eggs laid by 55- week old hens as compared to those laid by 21- week old hens. The n-6/n-3 and PUFA/SFA ratios were more favourable in the elder hens. In general, the results revealed hen ageing-based variations in fatty acid composition of their eggs, in particular in the representation of linoleic (LA), alpha-linolenic (ALA) and arachidonic acid (AA), for which statistically significant hen age-based differences were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 100 fresh hen's egg samples (pooled samples) including farmers' houses and poultry farms' eggs were collected for estimation of lead, cadmium and copper levels (50 pooled samples for each type, each pooled was represented by 5 eggs). Poultry farms' egg samples were purchased from different shops and supermarkets, while farmers' houses eggs were purchased from farmers' houses in Assiut Governorate, Egypt. The samples were digested then, analyzed for detection and measurement of lead, cadmium and copper by using ZEE nit 700P Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer with Graphite Furnace Unit (AASG) (Perkin-Elmer Atomic Absorption Spectrophometry model 2380, USA). Results indicated that incidence of lead, cadmium and copper in farmers' houses egg samples were 96, 12 and 98% while in poultry farms' egg samples were 98, 32 and 100%, respectively. Moreover, the samples above MPLs for lead in farmers' houses eggs and poultry farms' eggs were 47 (94%) out of 50 examined samples and fortunately all of examined samples contained cadmium and copper below the MPLs (0%) as stated by EOSQC (1993). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and fast quantitative and confirmatory multi-residue method was developed and validated for the determination of 14 coccidiostats residues in poultry muscle and eggs using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS). The compounds were analyzed in a single run including lasalocid A, maduramicin, monensin, narasin, salinomycin, semduramicin, robenidine, diclazuril, toltrazuril, trimethoprim, clopidol, amprolium, diaveridine and nicarbazin (as the marker residue dinitrocarbanilide). A low-cost extraction and clean up procedure was optimized without the need of solid-phase extraction. Samples were extracted with acetonitrile followed by low-temperature clean up. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a C18 column, using water and acetonitrile, both containing 5 mmol L −1 of formic acid and 1 mmol L −1 ammonium acetate, as mobile phase. Coccidiostats were ionized in negative and positive mode and monitored simultaneously. The method was fully validated according with Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and was applied for >100 samples from the Brazilian National Residue Control Plan (NRCP). Parameters as precision, reproducibility, trueness, CCα and CCβ were determined. Trueness values were within the range 73–115%. Precision (repeatability and intermediate precision) ranged from 0.4% to 21% and intralaboratory reproducibility ranged from 6.3% to 27%, depending on matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared egg size phenotypes and tested several predictions from the optimal egg size (OES) and bet-hedging theories in two North American desert-dwelling sister tortoise taxa, Gopherus agassizii and G. morafkai, that inhabit different climate spaces: relatively unpredictable and more predictable climate spaces, respectively. Observed patterns in both species differed from the predictions of OES in several ways. Mean egg size increased with maternal body size in both species. Mean egg size was inversely related to clutch order in G. agassizii, a strategy more consistent with the within-generation hypothesis arising out of bet-hedging theory or a constraint in egg investment due to resource availability, and contrary to theories of density dependence, which posit that increasing hatchling competition from later season clutches should drive selection for larger eggs. We provide empirical evidence that one species, G. agassizii, employs a bet-hedging strategy that is a combination of two different bet-hedging hypotheses. Additionally, we found some evidence for G. morafkai employing a conservative bet-hedging strategy. (e.g., lack of intra- and interclutch variation in egg size relative to body size). Our novel adaptive hypothesis suggests the possibility that natural selection favors smaller offspring in late-season clutches because they experience a more benign environment or less energetically challenging environmental conditions (i.e., winter) than early clutch progeny, that emerge under harsher and more energetically challenging environmental conditions (i.e., summer). We also discuss alternative hypotheses of sexually antagonistic selection, which arise from the trade-offs of son versus daughter production that might have different optima depending on clutch order and variation in temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) among clutches. Resolution of these hypotheses will require long-term data on fitness of sons versus daughters as a function of incubation environment, data as yet unavailable for any species with TSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of pomegranate seed oil, used as a source of punicic acid (CLnA) in the diets of laying hens, on the physicochemical properties of eggs. Forty Isa Brown laying hens (26 weeks old) were equally subjected to 4 dietary treatments (n = 10) and fed a commercial layer diet supplying 2.5% sunflower oil (control) or three levels (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) of punicic acid in the diets. After 12 weeks of feeding the hens, eggs collection began. Sixty eggs – randomly selected from each group – were analysed for physicochemical properties. Eggs naturally enriched with CLnA preserve their composition and conventional properties in most of the analysed parameters (including chemical composition, physical as well as organoleptic properties). Dietary CLnA had positive impact on the colour of the eggs’ yolk, whereas the hardness of hard-boiled egg yolks was not affected. Additionally, increasing dietary CLnA led to an increase not only the CLnA concentrations, but also CLA in egg-yolk lipids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: previous studies have shown that fenugreek seed given at 6 g/hen/d in an attempt to reduce yolk cholesterol tended to reduce laying performance and that autoclaving and pre-germination improved its in vitro nutritional values. Objective: to evaluate the effect of dietary addition of unprocessed (UPFS), autoclaved (AFS) or pre-germinated (PGFS) fenugreek seeds on laying hens' performance, egg physical characteristics and chemical composition. Methods: forty-eight 31 week-old Novogen white laying hens were divided into four groups and given 100 g/hen/d of a basal diet containing 0 (control) or 5.7 g of UPFS, AFS, or PGFS during nine weeks. Repeated and non-repeated data were analyzed using the Mixed and GLM procedures, respectively. Results: diet, week on diet and their interaction affected consumption (p<0.05). Laying rate was not affected (p>0.05) by week on diet but was reduced (p<0.05) by UPFS-diet. Moreover, UPFS-diet reduced (p<0.05) daily egg mass production. Feed conversion ratio was not affected (p>0.05) by dietary treatment or by week on diet. Egg, yolk, albumen and shell weights were affected (p<0.05) by week on diet but not by diet nor diet-week interaction. Dietary inclusion of fenugreek seeds did not affect total egg crude protein, yolk lipids, and triglyceride nor yolk cholesterol contents. Conclusion: unprocessed fenugreek reduced laying rate and daily egg mass production, but these effects were removed by autoclaving or pre-germination. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the impact of fenugreek seeds dietary supplementation on fatty acids profile and lipid peroxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesized as the selective sorbents for solid phase extraction (SPE), which was proposed for the determination of methenamine in chicken eggs by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The MIPs were prepared using methenamine as the template molecule, methacrylic acid (MAA) as the functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker. The scanning electron micrograph was applied to characterize the morphologies of MIPs and non-imprinted polymers (NIPs), and the static and dynamic adsorption experiment were studied. The compositions and volume of the loading and eluting solvent were optimized. Linear calibration curve was obtained by chicken egg matrix-matched standard, within the range of 1.0–50.0 μg L −1 ( R 2 = 0.9983). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.6 μg kg −1 and 2.0 μg kg −1 , respectively. Recoveries of methenamine in chicken eggs samples were in the range of 88.0%–112.8%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of intra-day assay ranged from 2.3% to 8.7%, and inter-day assay ranged from 4.8% to 10.9%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to examine the effects of a combined supplementation ofAspergillus awamori(AA) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in feed on growth and egg quality. Hens (28-week old) were fed on a basal diet as control group; diets supplemented with 0.05% AA, 0.10% LAB, or a combination of AA and LAB (6 birds/group) for 6 weeks. The growth performance of the birds was improved by all the treatments. Synergistic effects of AA and LAB were observed on feed intake, egg production, total egg weight and feed conversion (p < .05). Weights and heights of yolk and albumin was not affected by treatment while, yolk fat, shell weight and thickness were increased (p < .05). On the other hand, egg yolk total cholesterol was decreased and synergistically by the combination of AA and LAB (p < .05). Serum glucose, total cholesterol, ALT and triglyceride were reduced by all the treatment groups. Conversely, serumsuperoxide dismutase(SOD) was synergistically increased by the combination. Ca, P and Zn concentration in yolk was increased by AA and LAB and synergistically increased by the combination (p < .05). Interestingly, saturated fatty acids (SFA) were decreased while; unsaturated fatty acids (USFA) were increased in egg yolk in all groups. In conclusion, the combined supplementation of AA and LAB synergistically had no effect on the growth of laying hens. In addition,AAandLABmodify the egg yolk fatty acid profile by increasing unsaturated fatty acid and reducing saturated fatty acid. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: This experiment investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the serum components, laying hen productivity, lipid composition of egg yolk, egg flavor and egg quality. Methods: Healthy 28-week-old Hy-Line white laying hens (n = 480) were divided randomly into 4 groups, 6 replicates/group, 20 birds/replicate. The 30-day experimental diets included 0% (control), 0.4%, 0.8%, and 1.6% CLA. Some serum indices of the birds, and egg production, quality, fatty acid composition, egg quality were measured. Results: The dietary supplementation with 0.4%, 0.8%, and 1.6% CLA did not significantly affect the laying rate and feed intake, as well as calcium ion and phosphorus ion concentration in serum (p>0.05). However, the CLA had significantly increased the strength of eggshell, decreased the odor, flavor, and taste of egg yolk, deepened the color of egg yolk, increased saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and reduced the monounsaturated fatty acids (p<0.05). On the other hand, the dietary supplementation with 1.6% CLA had significant effects on feed/gain, and improved serum hormones. Dietary supplementation with 0.4% and 0.8% CLA can significantly enhance the activity of alkaline phosphates. Conclusion: CLA has no effect on production performance, but does enhance the lipid content of the egg yolk and the strength of the eggshell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted at Poultry Research Institute, Rawalpindi (Pakistan) with the objective of evaluating egg quality, proximate composition and cholesterol content of eggs and meat in Fayoumi (FAY) and commercial (Nick chick) White Leghorn (WLH) breeds of chickens. For this purpose, 64 adult (40 weeks-old) laying hens, 32 each of FAY and WLH breeds were maintained on littered floor in two separate pens under optimal management conditions. The birds were fed ad libitum a balanced layers ration. They had free access to clean and fresh drinking water and were kept under 16 h daily lighting schedule. Egg quality parameters, proximate composition and cholesterol content of eggs were studied for 6 weeks by randomly collecting 3 eggs daily from each breed. Thigh and breast meat samples were obtained from randomly selecting two birds from each breed by slaughtering them at the termination of experiment for determination of proximate composition and cholesterol content. The results show significantly higher egg weight, albumen weight and moisture content in WLH eggs in comparison to FAY eggs, whereas significantly higher yolk, ether extract content and yolk: albumen ratio were observed in FAY. Non-significant differences in shell weight, shell thickness, crude protein, ash and cholesterol contents were recorded between breeds. Breed differences in ether extract content both in breast and thigh meat and in cholesterol content in thigh portion were significant (p

This study describes the development of a multiresidue method for the efficient identification and quantification of nitroimidazoles, nitrofurans, and chloramphenicol in chicken and egg. After derivatization of nitrofuran metabolites, dispersive-solid phase extraction was used for the extraction of target analytes. An optimization strategy involved the selection of sorbents and extraction solutions for dispersive-solid phase extraction in order to achieve acceptably high recoveries and reduce co-extractives in the final extracts. Analytes were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, in one single injection with a chromatographic run time of 7.5 min. Mean recoveries ranged from 86.4% to 116.7% and interday precision was lower than 18%. The limits of quantification were between 0.1 and 0.5 μg/kg, which were satisfactory to support surveillance monitoring. Finally, the method was applied to real samples, and metabolite of furazolidone, metronidazole and its metabolite, dimetridazole and its metabolite were detected in both chicken and egg samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gravimetric method (GM) that can evaluate oil exudation rate in yolk of salted eggs was studied. The samples of 1.5–2.5 g yolk were sandwiched between filter papers and pressed by 1000 g weights for 1–2 h at 25–35°C. Free oil exuded from yolk was absorbed by the filter papers, and the increased mass of the filter papers was designated as the amount of exuded oil. The GM showed satisfactory coefficient of variation at 5.4%, with recoveries ranging from 98.2 to 101.9%. Highly linear correlation of free oil amount detected by GM with levels added soybean oil in samples was demonstrated byR2= 0.998. Cooked salted eggs from six companies and eggs brined different time were determined by the GM, which produced high consistency of the oil exudation ratio with the apparent state of different sample eggs. All the results indicated that the GM can be a practicable method to quantitatively evaluate oil exudation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of conventional-cage (CC), enriched-cage (EC), and free-range (FR) systems and hen age on internal and external egg quality parameters of layers (Lohmann Brown). A total of 720 eggs were analyzed for egg weight (EW), shell weight (SW), yolk weight (YW), albumen weight (AW), shell thickness (ST), shell breaking strength (SBS), shape (SI), albumen (AI), yolk index (YI) of eggs, shell ratio of eggs (SR), albumen ratio of eggs (AR), yolk ratio of eggs (YR), yolk color (YC), and Haugh unit (HU). The highest EW, YW, AW, SW, AI, YI, HU (all P < 0.001), and SI values were found in FR system eggs compared with CC and EC system eggs (P = 0.045). The SBS, ST, YC, SR, YR, and AR were found similar in all housing systems. There was an interaction between the housing system and hen age for EW, SW, YW, AW, SBS, ST, AI, YC, HU, AR (all P < 0.001), SI (P = 0.003), SR (P = 0.001), and YR (P = 0.001) of eggs. It can be concluded that eggs in the FR system were better in overall quality than eggs from CC and EC systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) eggs were studied. The aim was to evaluate the basic composition, amino and fatty acid profiles, as well as the presence of certain trace elements in the eggs. The average size of THB eggs was 29.9 × 39.5 mm and weight 20.7 g. The shell accounted for 12.5 %, albumen 46.9 % and yolk 40.6 % of the entire THB egg. The refractive index was 1.3341 in the albumen and 1.5120 in the yolk. The albumen contained 98.2 % water, 0.9 % proteins, 0.7 % ash and traces of fat. The yolk contained 60.6 % water, 21.0 % protein, 14.2 % fat, and 4.0 % ash. The pH of albumen was 8.8. The fatty acid composition was measured in egg yolk; oleic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid and, vaccenic acid were the most abundant. The amino acid composition was measured in egg albumen, and 18 amino acids were detected. The major amino acids present in albumen were glutamic acid, aspartic acid, leucine, phenylalanine, lysine, glycine, serine, threonine, and alanine. Concentrations of the trace elements, in descending order were in the shell: iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As) and selenium (Se); in the albumen: Fe, Cu, Cr, Se; and in the yolk: Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Se, Cr, Ni, Pb, Co. The purpose was to determine the chemical composition the of eggs, which can be used as a basic study for further comparison with free-living tortoises, and also as a comparison for the possible impact of environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 6-week experiment was conducted on 168 Tetra SL laying hens (26 weeks) assigned to 4 groups (C, E1, E2 and E3). The basal diet for all 4 formulations included corn, wheat, soybean meal, rice bran and rapeseeds meal. The experimental diets differed from the control (C) diet by the inclusion of 7% flaxseeds meal (E1, E2, E3), of a vitamin supplement (E1) and of grape seeds powder (3% for E2 and 1.5% for E3). The concentration of ω - 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω - 3 PUFA) in the compound feeds given to the experimental groups was about 4 times higher than in the control diet. The yolk of the eggs collected from the experimental groups had significantly (P=0.05) higher concentration of ω - 3 PUFA, while ω - 6/ω - 3 PUFA ratio was about 3 times lower than in the eggs from the control group. The peroxide value was significantly (P=0.05) lower in the yolks of groups E1 (0.136±0.058 mEq O2/ kg) and E2 (0.074±0.069 mEq O2/ kg) compared to groups C (0.230±0.055 mEq O2/ kg) and E3 (0.263±0.111 mEq O2/ kg). At the same time, the yolks from groups E1 and E2 had a higher antioxidant capacity than those from groups C and E3. The supplement of 3% grape seeds powder and of vitamin E (100 mg/kg CF) inhibited the onset of lipid peroxidation in the yolks of the eggs enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω - 3 PUFA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]