The effect of soy sterols in hypercholesterolemic chicks

Dietary levels of chia: influence on yolk cholesterol, lipid content and fatty acid composition for two strains of hens

Four hundred fifty H&N laying hens, half white and half brown, were fed for 90 d to compare a control diet to diets containing 7, 14, 21, and 28% chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seed. Cholesterol content, total fat content, and fatty acid composition of the yolks were determined 30, 43, 58, 72, and 90 d from the start of the trial. Significantly less cholesterol was found in the egg yolks produced by the hens fed the diets with 14, 21, and 28% chia compared with the control, except at Day 90. Palmitic fatty acid content and total saturated fatty acid content decreased as chia percentage increased and as the trial progressed. Total omega-3 fatty acid content was significantly greater (P < 0.05) for both strains for all chia diets compared with the control diet. Total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of the yolks from the chia diets was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than from the control diet. Generally, total PUFA content tended to be highest in the yolks of the white hens.

The nutritional value of moldy grains for broiler chicks

The effect was determined of mold development in corn and sorghum grains on their lipid content and nutritional value for broiler chicks. The grains, whole or ground, with their original moisture content (12.1 to 13.0%) or increased moisture content (15.0% moisture), were stored for 63 to 96 days prior to their incorporation into the diets fed to the chicks. Increasing the moisture content caused the development of the naturally occurring fungi (mainly Penicillium and Aspergillus spp.). The moldy grains did not contain aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, patulin, sterigmatocystin or zearalenone. Storage of whole or ground grains or of moistened whole corn did not result in differences in their fat content, in the metabolizable energy (ME) of the diets containing these grains, or in the performance of chicks fed these diets, but moistened whole sorghum affected performance adversely. Fat content in moistened ground grains decreased markedly during storage, but fatty acid ratios, vitamin E, carotene, xanthophyll, and protein levels were not markedly affected. These ground moldy grains reduced the dietary fat level during the 3 weeks of the feeding period in two out of three experiments and significantly (P less than .05) lowered ME values and depressed performance. Soybean oil supplementations to diets containing these grains increased dietary ME values and partially or completely restored performance. It is concluded, therefore, that the decreased energy level in diets containing ground moldy grains (not containing mycotoxins) is an important factor for their reduced nutritional value.

Effect of dietary factors on serum and egg yolk cholesterol levels of laying hens

Effects of dietary lipid factors (saturated and unsaturated oil, cholesterol and plant sterols) on the serum and egg yolk cholesterol levels of the laying hen were investigated. Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens, at thirty weeks of age, were used in two trials by feeding two basal diets containing 8.0% hydrogenated coconut oil or safflower oil, with or without supplemental cholesterol (1.0%), soysterols (2.0%) or combinations of both. Safflower oil, per se, had a superior property to hydrogenated coconut oil in suppressing cholesterol levels, in both serum and egg yolk. Cholesterol supplementation to the safflower oil basal diet resulted in a significant (P less than 0.01) elevation of serum and egg yolk cholesterol levels, whereas cholesterol in combination with hydrogenated coconut oil did not change the serum level. Cholesterol lowering effect of soysterols was clearly demonstrated in both serum and egg yolk by feeding soysterols alone as well as by feeding soysterols in combination with cholesterol.

The influence of turmeric and curcumin on cholesterol concentration of eggs and tissues

An experiment was conducted in order to study the hypocholesteremic effect of tumeric and its coloring principle namely curcumin both in the presence and absence of dietary cholesterol. Laying hens were used as the experimental animals and they were fed the experimental diets for a duration of 8 weeks. The results of the experiment showed that tumeric or various levels of curcumin had no adverse effect on egg production, egg weight and feed to egg ratio. Moreover tumeric or various levels of curcumin both in the presence and absence of dietary cholesterol did not reduce the fat or cholesterol levels of plasma, liver or the egg yolk. An interesting finding from this experiment was that the egg yolk cholesterol levels of cholesterol fed groups sharply increased at the beginning of the experiment, and thereafter they gradually decreased and tended to approach the normal levels at the termination of the experiment. The possible reasons for variation in egg yolk cholesterol levels of cholesterol-fed groups with time is discussed.