The Effect of Feeding Laying Hens with Nonindustrial Hemp Seed on the Fatty Acid Profile, Cholesterol Level, and Tocopherol Composition of Egg Yolk

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how cannabis-derived nonindustrial hemp seed (HS) inclusion in laying hen diets, as well as treatment duration, affected the fatty acid (FA) profile, cholesterol level, and tocopherol composition of egg yolks. Ninety-six ( n = 96 ) Lohmann Brown classic laying hens were randomly assigned to one of the four groups: control (standard diet) and HS-containing diets (10% HS, 20% HS, and 30% HS). The study was conducted for a period of 4 months. The findings demonstrated that the FA profile and the tocopherol composition are strongly impacted by the addition of HS to the diet of laying hens ( p < 0.05 ), but the cholesterol content remained unaffected. The increase in the dose of cannabis incorporated into the hen’s diet (HS-30% group) led to a significant increase in the amounts of the polyunsaturated fatty acids n-3 and n-6 content of egg yolk. This enrichment was accompanied by a considerable decrease in the n-6/n-3 ratio ( p < 0.001 ) from 8.19 to 4.88, on day 84 of the experiment. The total tocopherol content significantly increased ( p < 0.05 ) from 281.44 (control) to 327.02 μg/g yolk (HS-30%) on day 84. Finally, in the context of warfare, these seeds might be used as a feed additive for laying hens to produce higher nutritive value eggs with affordable prices.

A Comprehensive Exploration of the Fatty Acids Profile, Cholesterol, and Tocopherols Levels in Liver from Laying Hens Fed Diets Containing Nonindustrial Hemp Seed

“…Similar findings were also reported by Neijat et al [ 16 , 34 ], who demonstrated a significant reduction in hepatic MUFA levels at varying inclusion levels of HS (10%, 20%, and 30%). In addition, we observed a decrease in MUFA content in the egg yolk lipids when fed with HS [ 20 ]. These variations in MUFA levels can be attributed to a high level of omega-3 fatty acids, provided by cannabis seeds, which would reduce the expression of stearoyl-CoA desaturase SCD-1 in the liver, thereby decreasing oleic acid [ 40 ].…”

“…The liver is the primary site of cholesterol biosynthesis in laying hens, and the resulting cholesterol is incorporated into vitellogenin and/or very low-density lipoprotein particles that are secreted into the bloodstream and subsequently taken up by the oocytes [ 60 ]. In a previous study [ 61 ], we demonstrated that local ecotype hemp seed oil (HS) had an interesting effect on mice plasma lipid parameters, reducing the atherogenic index and LDL/HDL ratio but the hen's egg cholesterol content remained unaffected [ 20 ]. In the present study, we found that diets containing HS led to a reduction in cholesterol levels, which was significant at a level of p < 0.05 for the HS-10% diet, with levels of 94 and 82 mg/100 g for the control and HS-10% diet, respectively ( Table 5 ).…”

“…The composition of the diets and ingredients used were described in our previous article ( Table 1 ) [ 20 ]. As for the content of the hemp seeds used in this study, they are shown in ( Table 2 ).…”

“…In a previous study [ 20 ], it was documented that the utilization of nonindustrial Moroccan hemp seeds in the diets of Lohmann Brown laying hens resulted in a marked enhancement in nutritional egg quality, which was attributed to elevated levels of n-3 fatty acids and tocopherols. The objective of the current investigation was to explore the impact of integrating nonindustrial Moroccan hemp seeds from the Beldiya ecotype into the diets of laying hens on the hepatic fatty acid profile, tocopherols, and cholesterol content, while concurrently correlating these alterations with observed nutritional composition changes in eggs.…”

Hemp seed ( Cannabis sativa L.) cake as sustainable dietary additive in slow-growing broilers: effects on performance, meat quality, oxidative stability and gut health

“… 2022 ; Taaifi et al. 2023 ). It can be assumed that the effect of hemp seed on the higher production of LC n-3 PUFA was due to the high dietary supply of ALA as well as to the higher activity of Δ5 and Δ6 desaturases and elongases, as previously described by Garg et al.…”