The addition of green propolis to laying hens had positive effects on egg quality: lower bacteria counts in the shell and lipid peroxidation in the yolk.

Ana Claudia Casagrande,Carine F Souza,Gabriela M Galli,Matheus M Baldissera,Giovana C Machado,Marcel M Boiago,Andrei L Brunetto,Gilneia Da Rosa,Denise N Araujo,Aleksandro S Da Silva

doi:10.1590/0001-3765202120210315

Ana Claudia Casagrande, Carine F Souza + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202120210315

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Abstract

This study aimed to determine whether the addition of green propolis extract to the diet of laying hens would improve egg quality and bird performance and decrease bacterial contamination of eggs. Forty-five brown Hy-line laying hens were used, divided into five groups with three replicates each and three animals per cage: T0 - diet without propolis; T5 - 5 grams of propolis per kg of feed; T10 - 10 grams of propolis per kg of feed; T20 - 20 grams of propolis per kg of feed and T30 - 30 grams of propolis per kg of feed. The quality of fresh eggs was made on day 21 of the experiment, and eggs were stored for 21 days. Greater specific gravity was observed in fresh eggs in T5 birds and stored eggs for T10. TBARS in fresh eggs, we found that T30 eggs had lower levels compared to other treatments. T20 eggs had the lowest total bacterial count and the lowest total coliform count in the eggshells of T10 and T20 chickens. The count of E. coli in the peel was lower for T20 and T30 than T0 and T5. The consumption of propolis did not interfere with the hens' egg production rate but reduced food intake and consequently reduced feed conversion. We concluded that the addition of green propolis in the diet of laying birds proved efficient in reducing bacterial contamination in the eggshells and reducing the lipid peroxidation of fresh and stored eggs.

Highlights

The demand for eggs with quality and safety certifications has grown, primarily due to their high nutritional value, which contributes to the growth of laying poultry
Propolis analysis was previously published when provided in the lamb diet, where it was recorded that the concentration of total phenolic compounds was 916.28 ± 23.22 mg equivalent in gallic acid/mL; the antioxidant activity (IC50) was 158.15 ± 4.47 μg/mL; and the propolis extract had concentrations of gallic acid of 0.57 mg/mL, p-coumaric acid of 3.10 mg/ mL, and chlorogenic acid of 1.41 mg/mL (Cecere et al 2021)
A difference was observed for fresh eggs in which the T5 treatment was superior concerning the others (P < 0.001)

Summary

Introduction

The demand for eggs with quality and safety certifications has grown, primarily due to their high nutritional value, which contributes to the growth of laying poultry. Brazil is the fifth-largest world producer of eggs (Procópio & Lima 2020); it is the fifth most-consumed protein in the world. In 2019, Brazil produced around four billion dozens, of which 99.59% remained on the domestic market (ABPA 2019), with an increase in per capita egg consumption from 148 in 2010 to 230 in 2019 (ABPA 2020). Eggs are considered foods of the highest nutritional value, as they are an excellent source of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids (Mendonça et al 2019). In addition to changes that may involve the physical-chemical integrity of eggs, An Acad Bras Cienc (2021) 93(Suppl. 4)

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