Effect of Dietary Amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus chlorostachys) Supplemented with Enzyme Blend on Egg Quality, Serum Biochemistry and Antioxidant Status in Laying Hens

Abstract

A feeding trial was performed to assess the effects of dietary raw amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus chlorostachys) grain (RAG), with or without an enzyme blend, on the productive performance, blood biochemistry, and antioxidant status in laying hens. The trial was conducted following a completely randomized design by factorial method, including five levels of RAG (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40%, respectively) and two levels of enzyme blend (0 −E and 0.025 +E %). A total of 960 White Leghorn (Hy-line W-36) laying hens (56 weeks of age) were divided into 10 groups with eight repetitions, including 12 birds. The trial period was ten weeks. Results showed that RAG levels in feed (>10%) led to a significant decrease in blood total cholesterol (TC), but they also significantly decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p ˂ 0.05) as measured by feed intake (FI), hen daily production (HDP), egg weight (EW), and mass (EM), leading to overall worse productivity compared to the control group. On the contrary, the addition of the enzyme blend led to an improvement in the investigated production traits (p ˂ 0.05), with the exception of HDP. The enzyme blend was also capable of recovering productive performance when combined with low concentrations of RAG (10%) (p ˂ 0.05), and RAG × enzyme blend groups showed the lowest values of TC (p ˂ 0.05). Moreover, the interaction effects for atherogenic index (LDL/HDL) indicated a significant and promising reduction in response to the addition of RAG both in the presence and absence of the enzyme blend (p ˂ 0.05), and this additive also significantly reduced levels of egg yolk cholesterol (p ˂ 0.05). In summary, the evidence gathered in this trial showed that dietary RAG had positive effects on egg quality characteristics, leading to the production of low-cholesterol eggs, and, at the same time, it may improve the health status of laying hens. Furthermore, the addition of an enzyme blend allowed feeding up to 10% RAG in the diet, leading to an optimal balance between animal productivity and the beneficial effects of RAG.

A Comparison of the Effects of Raw and Processed Amaranth Grain on Laying Hens’ Performance, Egg Physicochemical Properties, Blood Biochemistry and Egg Fatty Acids

“…Popiela et al [ 18 ] did not observe any negative effect on some blood antioxidant characteristics and liver enzymes by feeding amaranth in laying hens, which was consistent with the results of the present study. Furthermore, Janmohammadi et al [ 1 ] showed that feeding raw amaranth grain to laying hens can lead to a decrease in blood cholesterol and maintain the antioxidant status of the blood in a normal and stable state, in agreement with the results of the present study.…”

“…By increasing the recycling of bile secretion, a decrease in cholesterol occurs. Considering the amount of bile secretion in laying hens, which is about one milliliter per kilogram of body weight per hour, if the recycling of bile secretion can be increased, decreased cholesterol and triglyceride content can be expected [ 1 , 28 ]. St-Onge et al [ 60 ] hypothesized that feeding amaranth grain and its active compounds stimulates the binding of cholesterol with bile acids and prevents the formation of micelles, while also increasing the fermentation effect on the production of fatty acids.…”

“…The poultry industry is one of the most important components of human food security. Therefore, increasing production performance and improving bird health by using new edible plants is one of the goals of poultry nutritionists [ 1 ]. In March 1974, in Virginia, USA, a meeting on the world’s underutilized plants was held under the auspices of the National Science Association of Washington National University.…”

“…In addition, feeding amaranth with enzyme additives helped to improve production performance. Janmohammadi et al [ 1 ] hypothesized that raw amaranth grain is a rich source of phytosterol, tocopherol and squalene bioactive compounds and its feeding in laying hens at a level of 10% with a multi-enzyme additive, while maintaining production performance, can lead to the improvement of blood, antioxidant parameters and the health of the animal and, parallel with that, the production of healthier, low-cholesterol eggs.…”

Suitability of raw and heat-treated Amaranthus spinosus in broiler diets: Impact on performance, meat antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health

“…In recent years, concerted efforts have been made to further explore the incorporation of grain amaranth into avian diets as a strategy to replace traditional feed resources. A review of the literature revealed maintenance or improvement in performance indices (Popiela et al, 2013, hypocholesterolemic effects (Alizadeh-Ghamsari et al, 2021), improved antioxidant status and atherogenic indices (Hosseintabar-Ghasemabad et al, 2022), improved animal health and improved production of healthier products (Popiela et al, 2013, Janmohammadi et al, 2023 when amaranth was incorporated into poultry diets, either raw or processed, or with other additives. Furthermore, when different amaranth species were evaluated, records revealed significant variability in terms of essential nutrients (Szabóová et al, 2020), phytochemical and antinutrient levels (Mlakar et al, 2009), animal feed consumption and weight gain (Waldroup et al, 1985, Pond et al, 1991, Ravindran et al, 1996.…”