Evaluation of δ-Aminolevulinic Acid on Serum Iron Status, Blood Characteristics, Egg Performance and Quality in Laying Hens

Effects of dietary ${\delta}$-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) supplementation on serum iron status, blood characteristics, egg production and quality were examined in laying hens in an 8-week feeding trail. Two hundred and forty (Hy-line brown, 40-week-old) layers were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments with ten replications (six layers in adjacent three cages). Dietary treatments included: 1) CON (basal diet), 2) ALA1 (CON+ALA 5 ppm), 3) ALA2 (CON+ALA 10 ppm) and 4) ALA3 (CON+ALA 15 ppm). All nutrient levels of diets were formulated to meet or exceed NRC (1994) recommendations for laying hens. During the entire experimental period, differences of serum iron concentration and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were significantly increased in ALA1 supplemented treatment (quadratic effect, p<0.05). The difference of total protein between 8 and 0 weeks was significantly higher in ALA2 treatment than CON treatment (quadratic effect, p<0.05). No significant effects were observed on hemoglobin, WBC, RBC, lymphocyte and albumin concentrations. Egg production and egg weight were not influenced by the ALA supplementation. Egg yolk index was also significantly higher in ALA3 treatment than CON treatment at the end of 4 and 8 weeks (linear effect, p<0.05). Haugh unit was increased in ALA3 treatment compared to CON and ALA1 treatments at the end of 8 weeks (linear effect, p<0.05). However, egg shell thickness, breaking strength and yolk color unit were not affected by the ALA supplementation. In conclusion, dietary ALA supplementation at a level of 5 ppm can affect iron concentration in serum while higher levels (10 or 15 ppm) have some beneficial influences on blood profiles and egg quality.