Effects of Chinese herbal mixture on performance, egg quality and blood biochemical parameters of laying hens

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Chinese herbal mixture (CHM) in laying hen diets on performance, egg quality and egg nutrition components, as well as selected blood biochemical parameters. A total of 270 Lohmann Brown laying hens, 24 week of age, were randomly distributed into three dietary treatments and fed for 6 week. The CHM was used at the levels of 0%, 0.5% and 1.0% in the diets of the control and two treatment groups respectively. Each dietary treatment was divided into five replicates, comprising of 18 hens each. Hens were housed in a 3-tier battery system. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Blood samples and eggs were collected at the end of the experiment. The results showed that dietary treatments did not affect egg weight, mortality, eggshell thickness, albumen height, Haugh units, eggshell-breaking strength and egg-shape index. Dietary supplementation of CHM significantly improved (p < 0.05) laying rate and the lowest feed conversion ratio were observed with 1.0% CHM supplementation diets. CHM supplementation decreased (p < 0.05) cracked-egg rate, egg yolk cholesterol, blood serum levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and increased blood serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). No differences in serum total protein, serum albumen, serum glucose and aspartate amino transferase (AST) were observed in hens fed CHM. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with CHM improved egg production and egg quality and reduced serum cholesterol concentrations in laying hens. Dietary supplementation of 1.0% CHM in layer diets may be a feasible means of producing eggs with lower cholesterol and higher egg yolk phospholipid contents for health conscious consumers.

Effect of dietary supplementation of a phytogenic blend containing Schisandra chinensis, Pinus densiflora, and Allium tuberosum on productivity, egg quality, and health parameters in laying hens

“…This study showed no significant difference in yolk color and eggshell properties (color, breaking strength, and thickness) among the dietary treatments. This is consistent with the previous reports that indicated no alteration in most of the egg quality traits in laying hens fed S. chinensis [ 32 ] and pine needles [ 33 ]. Li et al [ 32 ] reported that egg weight, eggshell thickness, egg white height, HU, and eggshell breaking strength had not changed in a study that fed 24-wk-old Lohmann Brown laying hens with 0.5% to 1% Chinese herbal mixture (containing 70% pine needles and 30% Artemisia annua ) in the diet.…”

“…This is consistent with the previous reports that indicated no alteration in most of the egg quality traits in laying hens fed S. chinensis [ 32 ] and pine needles [ 33 ]. Li et al [ 32 ] reported that egg weight, eggshell thickness, egg white height, HU, and eggshell breaking strength had not changed in a study that fed 24-wk-old Lohmann Brown laying hens with 0.5% to 1% Chinese herbal mixture (containing 70% pine needles and 30% Artemisia annua ) in the diet. Kim and Paik [ 33 ] also indicated no changes in eggshell strength, eggshell thickness, eggshell color, egg yolk, and HU when 66-wk-old Hy-line Brown hens were fed 0.2% plant extracts, including turmeric, Angelica gigas , S. chinensis , Glycyrrhiza glabra , and Levisticum officinale .…”

Citrullus lanatus essential oils inclusion in diets elicit nutraceutical effects on egg production, egg quality, and physiological characteristics in layer hens

“…Knowledge of bird hematology is a useful diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine ( Merck Manual, 2012 ). Hematological values are commonly used as physiological indicators of health in birds housed in cage systems and can be used detect stress caused by various factors, such as environmental, nutritional, and pathological aspects ( Toghyani et al., 2010 , Li et al., 2015 ). Overall, hematological indices in all treatment groups were observed to be within the anticipated ranges for healthy layers ( Merck Manual, 2012 ).…”

Nutritional Viewpoints on Eggs and Cholesterol

“…Among a variety of reduction technologies, extraction of cholesterol by critical carbon dioxide seems one of the excellent procedures [157]. Egg cholesterol can be reduced by feeding specific compounds, such as phytosterols or polyphenols, to laying hens, but the extent of reduction is approximately 10% [158,159], except for the 25% reduction of cholesterol in one report using special Chinese medicinal herbs [160]. However, both approaches seem not cost-effective at present.…”