Abstract
The study investigated egg quality aspects such as astaxanthin concentration, E/Z-isomer ratio, and yolk color in laying hens fed with astaxanthin-containing diets. Dried Paracoccus carotinifaciens cell powder (Panaferd-AX) and fine cell powder (Panaferd-P) were used as sources of astaxanthin, with average particle diameters of approximately 100 μm and 10 μm, respectively. Paracoccus carotinifaciens contains valuable rare carotenoids such as adonirubin and adonixanthin, and thus the concentrations of these carotenoids in egg yolk were also evaluated. The E/Z-isomer ratios of the egg yolk carotenoids were determined by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an improved solvent system. Feeding diets containing P. carotinifaciens resulted in increased concentrations of astaxanthin, adonirubin, and adonixanthin in egg yolk, as well as a marked increase in the yolk color fan score; values associated with the Panaferd-P-containing diet were higher than those associated with the Panaferd-AX-containing diet. For example, the astaxanthin concentration in egg yolks of hens fed with the Panaferd-AX- and Panaferd-P-containing diets for 21 days were 1.21 μg/g and 1.85 μg/g, respectively. This indicates that the pulverization treatment of the P. carotinifaciens powder increased the efficiency of carotenoid accumulation in the egg yolk. Moreover, more than 95% of astaxanthin in P. carotinifaciens was present as the all-E-isomer. However, approximately 25% of astaxanthin in egg yolk was present as the Z-isomers. In recent years, astaxanthin Z-isomers have attracted substantial attention as they exhibit a greater bioavailability and bioactivity than the all-E-isomer. These data are important not only for understanding egg yolk pigmentation but also for improving the nutritional value of hens’ egg yolk through the addition of P. carotinifaciens to their diet.
Highlights
The color of egg yolk is an important factor in determining whether the product will be acceptable to the consumer
We evaluated the impact of the feeding anegg improved high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
Ample studies have shown that normal-phase HPLC exhibits a greater separation ability than that by reversed-phase
Summary
The color of egg yolk is an important factor in determining whether the product will be acceptable to the consumer. Yolk with a high pigment content is in demand for egg-containing processed foods such as noodles, baked goods, and mayonnaise. 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW astaxanthin (3,3’-dihydroxy-β,β-carotene-4,4’-dione; Figure 1a) as a carotenoid for improving egg yolk pigmentation has attracted substantial attention [6,7,8]. Astaxanthin efficiently pigments egg astaxanthin (3,3’-dihydroxy-β,β-carotene-4,4’-dione; Figure 1a) as a carotenoid for improving egg yolk and shows a strong antioxidant activity that is 10 times higher than β-carotene and 100 times yolk pigmentation has attracted substantial attention [6,7,8]. Astaxanthin efficiently pigments egg yolk higher than α-tocopherol [9,10].activity
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