The predominant source of vitamin D is the synthesis of cholecalciferol in the skin by the action of sunlight; however, due to the relative lack of sunlight, the intake of vitamin D from food is emphasized during winter, especially in the northern countries. Only a few foods (fish, eggs, wild mushrooms, meat, and milk) are natural sources of vitamin D. In addition, the content of vitamin D in foods is generally low, and some groups of people obtain amounts of vitamin D that are too small from their diet. The present study was designed to determine whether it is possible to increase the vitamin D content of egg yolk by giving hens feed containing elevated levels of cholecalciferol. Three cholecalciferol levels were tested: 26.6 (1064), 62.4 (2496), and 216 microgram (8640 IU)/kg feed. Egg yolk samples were taken after 0, 4, 5, and 6 weeks and were assayed for the presence of cholecalciferol and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol using an HPLC method. According to the present study, there was strong positive correlation between cholecalciferol content in poultry feed and cholecalciferol (r = 0. 995) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (r = 0.941) content in egg yolk.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.