• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1799-1803
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• 2003

The possibility of lycopene affecting egg yolk pigmentation was studied with lycopene diets containing 0, 4, 8, and $12{\mu}g/g$ meal, respectively. The addition of lycopene above $4{\mu}g/g$ meal significantly improved yolk color after four days of supplementation. The transfer of lycopene into egg yolk was confirmed by thin layer chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The deposition rate of lycopene into egg yolk was approximately 2%, which was quantitatively determined using a HPLC with a UV detector. The result indicates that lycopene is a good candidate for egg yolk pigmentation and for making functional eggs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.297-302
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• 2002

The effects of eggshell pigmentation and egg size (medium and large) on the spectral properties and characteristics of eggshells were examined in eggs from two genetic groups of breeder flocks. Birds from meat (Hybro, pigmented eggshell, PES) and layer (Leghorn, non-pigmented eggshell, NPES) at 40 and 46 weeks of age, respectively, were used. Measurements of per cent shell (PS), shell thickness (ST), shell volume (SV), shell density (SD), egg shell conductance (EC) and physical dimensions of eggs were made. The spectral properties of eggshells were measured over the wavelength (WL) range of 200 to 1,100 nm. Eggshell absorbed approximately 99.8 percent of the light and transmitted only about 0.12 percent with a maximum light transmission at the near-infra-red region of about 1075 nm. It attenuated shorter WL and transmitted longer WL. Eggshell pigmentation and egg size influenced light transmission into the egg. The NPES had higher EC and transmission of light and lower PS and SD than those of the PES. Large size eggs had higher EC, SD, SV, transmission of light and egg physical dimensions than those of medium size eggs. It is concluded that genetic make up of birds and egg size influenced eggshell characteristics including EC and that, as a consequence, the difference in the spectral properties of eggshells. The pigmentation of eggshell influenced the amount and WL transmitted into the egg. The size and EC of eggs influenced the amount of light transmitted through the eggshell. EC is a good indicator for the ability of eggshell to transmit light.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.133-153
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• 2000

The egg's interior quality is one of the most important criteria for commercial producers and consumers. Internal quality is complex, including aesthetic factors such as taste, freshness, nutritional and processing values, and the genetic influences upon these upon these factors ranges from none to considerable. The rate of cholesterol synthesis in the hen is very high compared to other animals and humans. Genetic selection, diet drugs and other chemicals can alter cholesterol concentration in the plasma of laying hen, but attempts to manipulate the cholesterol concentration in the egg yolk are generally unsuccessful since the cholesterol can only be changed to a small extent. Factors which may affect the degree of pigmentation of the yolk include the type of xanthophyll and its concentration in the feed, the feed composition, and the health of the hen. Several feed ingredients interact with carotenoid pigment to improve or reduce their deposition rates in yolks. Egg weight is determined by genetics, body size prior to first egg housing density, environmental temperature, lighting program, total feed consumption, calcium, phosphorus, niacin, water, methionine, total sulfur amino acids, energy, linoleic acid, fat and protein levels. Eggs need to be promote levels. Eggs need to be promoted a versatile commodity and new processed egg items need to be developed. Organic eggs are laid by hens which were raised in chemical and drug frdd environments. There are still difficulties in producing these eggs due to the availability of organic poultry feeds and cost of organic grains.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2002

This study was conducted to evaluate the feeding value of ascidian tunic shell the effects of its dietary supplementation on laying performance, egg-yolk pigmentation, egg-shell strength and egg taurine content. A total of 168 brown layers at the age of 29wks in commercial cage were fed for 4 wks with 7 different diets containing ascidian tunic shel1(AST) at varying levels of 0$\sim$5% Dm or 0% AST with 100ppm carophyll red. No differences were found in egg production and weight among the treatments indicating that ascidian tunic shell did not adversely affect the laying performances. Adding the ascidian tunic shell to the diets increased egg-yolk pigmentation compared to the control and resulted in simillar or better effect on egg-yolk pigmentation compared to 100ppm carophyll red. The data suggest that ascidian tunic shell may be used as feed ingredients in layer diet enrichment of egg-yolk pigmentation in the place of carophyll red(chemical pigment). Specific gravity and breaking strength of egg shell were significantly increased by the adding ascidian tunic shell to the diet, suggesting that ascidian tunic shell may be used as feed ingredients for increasing egg shell strength. Also taurine content of egg was significantly increased with increasing supplementation of ascidian tunic shell to the diet(p<0.05). Therefore, ascidian tunic shell may be used as feed ingredients in laying hen diet to improve egg quality such as egg-yolk pigmentation, egg-shell strength and egg taurine enrichment.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.463-470
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• 1996

The red yeast Phaffia rhodozyma, which contains astaxanthin(3, 3'-dihydroxy-$\beta$, $\beta$-carotene-4, 4'-dione) as its primary carotenoid, was tested as a dietary pigment source for egg yolks of laying hens. When the yeast was fed to laying hens at several concentrations, the intensity of redness in egg yolks was dependent on the yeast concentration in the feed and the deposition period. Addition of P rhodozyma in feed did not cause any visible adverse effect on laying hens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.776-782
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• 1999

Two Bangladeshi varieties of yellow corn-'Barnali' and 'Khaibhutta' were chemically analysed and used in the diet of laying chicken to determine their replacement value for wheat. Both the new varieties of yellow corn were found to be good sources of energy and the CP contents were comparable to wheat. Forty two, 29-week old randomly selected Starcross Brown commercial pullets were assigned to 7 dietary treatments with 6 replicates, each being an experimental unit. Diets were formulated replacing wheat quantitatively by two varieties of yellow corn either 0, 50, 75 or 100 per cent from a wheat based control diet. The production performance of laying hens fed diets formulated with Barnali or Khaibhutta at different dietary levels during an experimental period of 16 weeks was satisfactory and comparable to wheat based diet. Except egg yolk colour, the other internal arid external egg quality characteristics at 8th and 16th weeks of the experiment did not differ significantly. The egg yolk colour improved significantly (p<0.01) by feeding both the new varieties of corn and the degree of pigmentation of yolk increased as the dietary levels of corn increased at the expense of wheat. Considering laying performance, the new varieties of yellow corn, Barnali or Khaibhutta can be used in layer diet as replacement of wheat. Such a replacement would better that wheat-based diet in terms of egg yolk pigmentation.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.73-78
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• 2004

The effect of supplemental yellow ${\beta}$-8-Apo-carotenoic acid ethyl ester (ACA) (0~300mg/kg feed) on its accumulation in each body part of laying hens and the pigmentation in egg yolk was determined. The chickens used in this study were 78-wk-old ISA brown laying hens. ACA significantly affected the color of the bodies of laying hens. The yellowness ($b^*$) but not the redness ($a^*$) and, the lightness ($L^*$) of the skin, and muscle as measured by a colorimeter significantly (P < 0.05) increased when ACA was fed at 50~100 mg/kg feed. Egg yolk color was also significantly affected by feeding ACA longer than 2 days (P < 0.05) at the levels higher than 50 mg/kg feed. Conclusively, ACA is recommended for improving yellowness of skin.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.239-244
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• 1998

Dried carrot meal (DCM) prepared from fresh carrot was found to be a good source of xanthophyll (54 mg/kg) and morderate source of protein (188.3 g/kg) and energy (2,510 kcal/kg) with low level of fibre (80 g/kg). DM, EE and NFE content of DCM were 895, 35 and 661.7 g/kg respectively. The ingredient was used in laying hen diet to evaluate its pigmenting value for egg yolk. Thirty-two laying hens from Starcross strain were divided into four groups and fed four different diets: a control diet containing 62% ground wheat, a corn-based diet (50% ground yellow corn), control + 4% DCM and control + 8% DCM. Use of DCM at 8% level in layer mash significantly improved yolk colour at 3rd, 6th and 9th week of supplementation in comparison with wheat-based control diet. This improvement was statististically similar to that obtained from yellow corn-based diet. DCM at 4% level also improved yolk colour score. Wheat-based diet significantly increased feed consumption compared to yellow corn and diet supplied with 8% DCM. Body weight gain, egg production, feed conversion were not significantly affected due to dietary addition of DCM and no mortality was observed during 63-day experimental period. Further works on DCM are suggested.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.702-707
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• 1998

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of a microbial enzyme (Roxazyme-$G^{(R)}$), a multicarbohydrases preparation, supplementation to the wheat-based layer diets. Diets were formulated to include different levels of wheat replacing yellow corn on isocaloric and isonitrogenous basis. The energy value of wheat in the enzyme supplemented diets was adjusted (spec-modified) to have 5% more ME than the wheat in diets without enzyme. A total of 864 Hy-$Line^{(R)}$ brown layers were assigned to 4 dietary treatments: 10% wheat (T1), 25% wheat (T2), 25% wheat (spec-modified)+ 0.01 % Roxazyme-$G^{(R)}$ (T3), and all wheat (spec-modified)+0.01% Roxazyme-$G^{(R)}$ (T4). Hen-day egg productions of T1 and T4 were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that of T2 but not different from T3. Hen-housed egg production of T4 was significantly (p < 0.01) greater than those of T1 and T3 but not different from T2. Egg weights of T1 and T2 were significantly (p < 0.0 1) greater than that of T4. Feed consumption of T2 was significantly (p < 0.01) lower than other treatments. Feed conversion ratio (feed/egg mass) was not significantly different among treatments. Eggshell thickness of T1 was significantly (p < 0.01) greater than other treatments but ratio of broken eggs was not significantly different among treatments. Haugh unit of T4 was significantly greater (p < 0.05) than that of T2. Egg yolk color was significantly (p < 0.01) influenced by treatments in which enzyme treatment potentiated the yolk pigmentation. It was concluded that a multi-carbohydrases supplementation enables complete replacement of yellow com with wheat without loss of productivity and major egg quality parameters.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.254-259
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• 2009

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of extracted pigment from Dietzia natronolimnaea biomass as a source of canthaxanthin in comparison with synthetic canthaxanthin on egg yolk pigmentation. The experiment used a completely randomized design (CRD). A total of 63 laying hens, 68 weeks old, were used and the birds were allotted to 7 dietary treatments with each treatment replicated three times with three hens per replicate. Treatments consisted of 3 levels of synthetic canthaxanthin (4, 8 and 16 ppm), 3 levels of extracted pigment from D. natronolimnaea biomass (4, 8 and 16 ppm) and control. Changes in yolk color were determined in 2 eggs taken at random, during the four week experimental period from each replicate. Supplementation of extracted pigment from D. natronolimnaea biomass had a significant effect on the color of egg yolks (p<0.05). Yolk color score of the control group was 6.83 in BASF color fan and the yolk color score of different extracted pigment levels was 11.00, 12.50 and 14.50, respectively. The yolk colors of different levels of synthetic canthaxanthin were 12.00, 14.00 and 15.00, respectively. The effect of pigment supplementation on egg yolk color was better explained by polynomial response curves. The $R_{2}$ indicated that for 3 supplementation levels of each pigment studied, over 90% of the color variation could be explained by the pigment concentration. The egg yolk color after 15 and 30 days of storage was not significantly different, but boiling reduced egg yolk color significantly (p<0.05).