Egg Type Research Articles

Development of novel egg type chicken variety with improved productivity for rural backyards of India

Rural poultry farming with improved high producing chicken varieties is transforming the rural livelihoods. The present study was aimed at developing a high egg producing variety suitable for backyard poultry farming. A total of 602 female birds representing five crossbreds, i.e. Kadaknath × IWH (KH), PD-3 × IWH (DH), PD-2 × IWH (VH), PD-1 × IWH (CH) and PD-3 × KH (DKH) were evaluated for their performance up to 72 weeks under farm conditions. The traits evaluated were body weights at 8, 16, 20, 40, 52, 64 and 72 weeks age at sexual maturity (ASM), egg production and egg weight at 40, 52, 64 and 72 weeks and egg quality traits. Analysis of variance was used to assess the effect of genotypes on different traits and heterosis was estimated to check the superiority of the crosses over the parent lines. Genotype had significant influence on all the traits. Morphologically, only DKH crossbred had multi-coloured plumage, while all other crosses had white plumage with brown patches. DKH cross produced about 239.2±2.96 eggs annually and also witnessed the highest heterotic gains for all the body weight traits. Also, heterosis for ASM was very low for DKH cross and hence, in desired direction. Based on present findings, the three-way DKH cross owing to its multi-coloured plumage and good performance can be further studied for its potential as a high-producing layer variety in rural backyards.

Influence of sex hormones on the aggressive behavior during peck order establishment and stabilization in meat and egg type chickens

In the poultry industry, broiler and layer strains are genetically selected for different purposes (e.g., high meat-yield and high egg-production). Genetic selection for productivity can have unintended consequences on the behavioral repertoire of the birds, including aggression. Alongside the increasing societal concern regarding the welfare of animal in agriculture, the number of countries that are advocating the prohibition of using battery cages for laying hens has resulted in the transition and adoption of cage-free or free-range systems. Thus, both broiler and layer chickens are housed in large flocks rather than housed individually in cages. Housing birds in groups increases the opportunity for birds to engage in social behaviors, including aggression, that are used to establish social status. Aggressive interactions are associated with the risk of injury and the potential for a subordinate animal to have unmet needs (e.g., access to feed). The aim of this study was to characterize the relationships among aggressive behavior, neurobiology, and hormones during peck order establishment and social hierarchy stabilization of 2 divergently selected strains (meat- and egg-type chicken). Meat-type strains performed more male on male (P < 0.001), male on female (P < 0.0001), and female on female (P < 0.0001) non-reciprocal aggression behavior (NRA) than egg-type strains. Greater serum testosterone and estradiol concentrations in the weeks after the peck order establishment were observed in meat-type birds compared those in egg-type birds for both males and females (all P < 0.05). Greater (P < 0.05) cellular densities of androgen receptors, but not estrogen receptors, were observed in the hypothalamus of meat-type birds compared to egg-type birds. These findings suggest that greater sex hormone concentrations in the meat-type birds may be a consequence of genetic selection for rapid growth resulting in more sex hormones-induced aggressive behavior.

Characterization of Indigenous Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates and Toxicity Analysis Against Brinjal Shoot and Fruit Borer, Leucinodes orbonalis (Guenee)

The toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) exhibit significant promise in managing specific orders of harmful insects without the drawbacks in using of chemical insecticides. This study examines 20 indigenous Bt isolates, with a focus on their colony and crystal morphology, gene content, protein profiles, and toxicity against the larvae of Leucinodes orbonalis. The results revealed that all colonies were creamy white in colour with fried egg type appearance, flat surface, and undulated margin with spherical shaped crystals. PCR screening detected the existence of cry1, cry2, and vip3A genes with varying gene combinations among the isolates. Protein profiles exhibited the presence of multiple proteins with molecular weights ranging from 20 to 135 kDa, particularly ~135 and ~65 kDa represents Cry1 and Cry2 protein. In vitro bioassays against L. orbonalis revealed that four isolates T193, T339, T374, and T380 having substantial toxicity (93.33 to 100% mortality), suggesting the potential for their utilization in sustainable pest management strategies.

Effect of egg type and storage conditions on the quality of crispy Thai pancake (Thong Phap)

Eggs were stored within 24 h after laying at 4±2oC and 28±2oC for 25 days (d). Egg quality was monitored during cold and room temperature storage for producing Thong Phap. Longer storage time led to an increase in weight loss and pH, while the Haugh Unit (H.U.) and viscosity of the egg white decreased. Eggs stored at a higher temperature, particularly duck eggs, exhibited faster parameter changes. The main protein types in duck and chicken egg whites determined by SDS-PAGE were ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, and ovomucin. Microbial standards indicated that the shelf life of duck eggs was lower than chicken eggs. Na, P, and K contents of duck egg white were higher than a chicken egg, while storage temperature and time did not significantly affect mineral content.

Influence of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda egg mass scales and layers on the performance of three species of egg parasitoid Trichogramma with different ovipositor lengths

BackgroundThe fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a highly polyphagous and destructive pest of maize and other cereal crops. Biological control is a potential alternative to chemical insecticides used for the management of FAW in maize. Egg parasitoids are promising biocontrol agents as they kill the insect pest at their egg stage before it hatches, thus preventing the damaging larval stage. Trichogramma is widely used in augmentative biological control of FAW in native and invaded regions. However, FAW lay egg masses in layer by layer and eggs are covered with egg scales, this may affect the performance of Trichogramma parasitoids. Therefore, the parasitism potential of three Trichogramma species was studied on eggs with or without scales and layered eggs of FAW, further the impact of parasitoids ovipositor length on parasitism was also determined. This helps to understand the parasitism potential of parasitoids on different egg type for better implementation of biological control programs against FAW.ResultsThe effect of FAW egg mass with or without scales and layered eggs on the performance of Trichogramma chilonis, T. pretiosum and T. mwanzai was studied and results indicated that egg mass scales and the layered eggs were significantly affected the parasitism potential of Trichogramma species, but did not affect the parasitoid emergence. In general, T. chilonis parasitized a higher percentage of eggs with or without scales and layered eggs of FAW than the other two species. T. chilonis and T. mwanzai had a greater ovipositor length than T. pretiosum.ConclusionThe performance of evaluated Trichogramma species on FAW eggs with or without scales and layered eggs affected the parasitism success. The parasitism success of T. chilonis was comparably higher than other tested species. Hence, the scales on egg masses and layered eggs of FAW should be taken into account while selecting the Trichogramma species in the biological control of FAW.

Nest architecture, not egg type, influences artificial nest survival in Brazilian coastal shrubland

Nest architecture, not egg type, influences artificial nest survival in Brazilian coastal shrubland

Feeding Moringa oleifera improved reproductive performance in aged egg type breeder chickens

Feeding Moringa oleifera improved reproductive performance in aged egg type breeder chickens

Prevalence of Zoonotic Intestinal Parasites in Meat Goats in Southern Thailand.

Background: Intestinal parasites not only lead to poor goat health and productivity but can also affect human health. We investigated the distribution of zoonotic intestinal parasites among goats in southern Thailand to assess the human health risks. Materials and Methods: Overall, 561 fecal samples were collected randomly from goats in farms (55) in Songkhla, Satun, Pattalung, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat provinces between January 2020 to January 2022. Parasite eggs were detected via the standard protocol formalin ether concentration technique (FECT). Results: Samples containing one or more intestinal parasites accounted for 97.33% (543/561) of the total samples, and the percentage of zoonotic parasite was 80.04% (449/561). Among the positive samples, two types of zoonotic helminths were identified, Strongylid egg type (79.32%) and Fasciola spp. (2.14%). Strongylid egg type was highly abundant in samples from Satun (84.62%), Songkhla (82.74%), Pattalung (79.31%), and Yala (77.27%). Fasciola spp. was mostly found in samples form Pattalung (13.79%) and Songkhla (1.12%). Eimeria spp. was the mostly identified protozoa 25.67%. It was mostly identified in samples from Narathiwat (75%), Pattani (41.9%), and Songkhla (31.41%). Mixed infections accounted for 40.82% of the total with 33 patterns. It was found that Strongylid egg types occurred in 28 patterns (84.85%). Strongylid egg types-Eimeria spp.-pattern was the most commonly found. Conclusion: Based on the results, zoonotic helminth infection was found together with widespread and high diversity of intestinal parasites infection in meat goats, which affect animal health and may pose a risk to human health. Mass deworming programs with a proper anthelmintic drugs and good agricultural practices need to be encouraged by the government so that people who contact with goats should practice good hygiene behavior. Farm management should be applied by intensive goat raising with pasture circulating to reduce parasite egg contamination. Moreover, fresh fertilizers from goat faces should be avoided.

Chromosome-level genome assembly and whole-genome resequencing of topmouth culter (Culter alburnus) provide insights into the intraspecific variation of its semi-buoyant and adhesive eggs.

Topmouth culter (Culter alburnus) is an ecologically and economically important species belonging to the subfamily Culterinae that is native to and widespread in East Asia. Intraspecific variation of semi-buoyant and adhesive eggs in topmouth culter provides an ideal opportunity to investigate the genetic mechanisms of spawning habits underlying the adaptive radiation of cyprinids in East Asia. In this study, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly of topmouth culter and re-sequenced 158 individuals from six locations in China covering three geographical groups and two egg type variations. The topmouth culter genome size was 1.05 Gb, with a contig N50 length of 17.8 Mb and anchored onto 24 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the divergence time of the Culterinae was coinciding with the time of initiation of the Asian monsoon intensification. Gene family evolutionary analysis indicated that the expanded gene families in topmouth culter were associated with dietary adaptation. Population-level genetic analysis indicated clear differentiation among the six populations, which were clustered into three distinct clusters, consistent with their geographical divergence. The historical effective population size of topmouth culter correlated with the Tibetan Plateau uplifting according to the demographic history reconstruction. A selective sweep analysis between adhesive and semi-buoyant egg populations revealed the genes associated with the hydration and adhesiveness of eggs, indicating divergent selection towards different hydrological environments. This study offers a high-resolution genetic resource for further studies on evolutionary adaptation, genetic breeding and conservation of topmouth culter, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms for egg type variation of East Asian cyprinids.

Comparative performance of Kuzi Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and its crosses with Khaki Campbell with respect to growth, phenotypic parameters and carcass quality

To develop a suitable duck variety for egg type, one pilot study was undertaken to know the cross performance of Kuzi ducks with exotic duck breeds available in India. In the present study, comparative performance of Kuzi ducks and its two crosses with Khaki Campbell viz Kuzi × Khaki Campbell (DK) and Khaki Campbell × Kuzi (KD) were carried out with respect to juvenile growth, conformation, body colour and carcass quality. It was observed that significant differences exist between different genetic groups for body weights and Kuzi Ducks recorded higher body weights than its two crosses. The weight gain was more during two to seven weeks of age in all the three genetic groups irrespective of sex. Gain in body weight showed maximum gain during four to six weeks of age. This may be exploited in the future breeding programme. Multicolour plumage was dominant in all the three genetic groups. Shank colours were brown in most of the birds in DK and KD whereas pink in Kuzi. The study revealed that male ducks may be slaughtered at 12 weeks of age for meat purpose as thereafter they were not gain any significant body weight. It was found that the crosses of Kuzi and Khaki Campbell recorded lower body weight than Kuzi.

Common cuckoos do not mimic the size and shape of host eggs

AbstractOften considered a textbook example of coevolution, common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) eggs are among the best-studied eggs in the world. Female cuckoos belong to genetically distinct host-races, each laying a specific egg type. When host species evolved to reject cuckoo eggs from their nests, cuckoos evolved better egg color and pattern mimicry. In this study, we asked: have cuckoos also evolved eggs that are well matched to host eggs in size and shape, and is the match better for highly discriminating hosts? We used digital image analysis to quantify the sizes and shapes of ~1230 eggs laid by ten European host species and their respective cuckoo host-races. We found that there is some variation in egg size and shape among host species. By contrast, different cuckoo host-races lay eggs that are—on average—similar in size and shape. This generic “one size and shape fits all” cuckoo egg morph is a poor match to most host egg sizes but a good match to most host egg shapes. Overall, we showed that host discrimination behavior was not correlated with the degree of egg size or shape similarity. We concluded that cuckoo females have not evolved egg size or shape mimicry. Alternative explanations for egg shape similarity include biophysical constraints associated with egg formation and selection for incubation efficiency. Finally, to place our results in a broader context, we compared the egg shapes of the common cuckoo and its hosts to those of three Australian parasitic cuckoo species and their hosts.

Effect of Egg Weight and Type of Breeding on the Productive Performance of Japanese Quail

This study was conducted in the farm of the Department of Animal Production of the College of Agriculture - Tikrit University for the period from 8/11/2021 to 2/2/2022, and the aim of the study was the effect of egg weight and breeding system on the productive performance of Japanese quail during the growth and egg production stages. 490 un naturalized one-day-old birds were raised from egg hatching collected and graded into three weight categories, low (8-10) gm, medium (10.1-11) gm and high (11.51-12.5) gm and divided into Three groups based on the weight of hatched eggs from (high, medium, low) to a ground breeding system and cages. The study included two stages, the first is the growth stage from (1-36) days old, and the second is the production stage from(37-78) days old. The results of the statistical analysis showed the following: (1) Effect of the breeding system: (A) There is a significant difference (P≤0.05) for quails raised in the ground breeding system in the following characteristics: weight at sexual maturity, while there were no significant differences in age at sexual maturity in the growth stage. (B) There is a significant (P≤0.05) superiority (P≤0.05) of quail birds raised by the ground breeding system in the following characteristics: average egg weight. While there were no significant differences in the weight of eggs for the first, second and third periods, the number of eggs. (2) Effect of egg weight, (A) There is a significant superiority (P≤0.05) of hatching quail birds from high-weight eggs in the characteristics of weight at sexual maturity, and age at sexual maturity for the stage of growth. Whereas, significant superiority (P≤0.05) was found in the following traits during the production stage: (A) High weight eggs: weight of the first egg, weight of eggs. (B) Low weight eggs: there were no significant differences between the treatments in terms of number of eggs,

BROODING PRACTICES OF LOCAL CHICKEN PRODUCERS AND ON-STATION EVALUATION OF NOVEL BROOD NEST ON HATCHABILITY OF CHICKEN EGG AT GAMO ZONE, SNNPR, ETHIOPIA

A survey was conducted at Gamo Zone of SNNPR, Ethiopia, to assess the indigenous practices of incubation, brooding, egg selection practices, broody hen selection practices, and causes of hatchability failure. Multistage sampling procedures were employed to select woredas, sample kebeles, and respondents, in which two districts were selected by purposive sampling technique; stratified purposive techniques were employed to select nine sample kebeles, and purposive random sampling techniques were used to select a total of 385 respondents. Pretested structured questionnaire and focused group discussion were employed to generate data. All generated survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of SPSS 16. Broody hens were the sole means of egg incubation and chick brooding. Broody hens are selected based on plumage color, egg yield, body weight (size), and mothering ability. Eggs laid at home were the predominant sources of incubation and were selected mainly based on egg type, egg age, and egg size. Clay pots, plastic, bamboo cages, and cartons were used as egg-setting materials, and grasses, straws, cotton seeds, feathers of broody hens, and clothes were used as bedding materials. October–December was the most preferred while July–September was the worst months of the year to incubate eggs and to achieve the best hatchability eggs. Environmental temperature, lack of proper laying nests, and post handling were the critical causes of the failure of egg hatchability in the study area. The total number of eggs incubated using a novel nest was 16 eggs. A comparatively high number of chicks were hatched during the second phase (7–12) from the number of eggs set. There is a strong need for training of chicken producers in increasing hatchability performances through the preparation of proper brooding nest or laying nest, egg selection, feeding, housing, health care, proper post handling, and chick management to increase their economic returns. Community-based holistic improvement programs are also very imperative to design to improve the genetic potential through selective breeding and conservation of the indigenous chicken genetic resources. Further research on hatchability performance evaluation of the indigenous chickens both on-farm and station as well as the effect of the 12 months of the year on incubation and hatchability of eggs.

Microbial diversity and community composition of fecal microbiota in dual-purpose and egg type ducks.

Ducks are important agricultural animals, which can be divided into egg and dual-purpose type ducks according to economic use. The gut microbiota of ducks plays an important role in their metabolism, immune regulation, and health maintenance. Here, we use 16S rDNA V4 hypervariable amplicon sequencing to investigate the compositions and community structures of fecal microbiota between egg (five breeds, 96 individuals) and dual-purpose type ducks (four breeds, 73 individuals) that were reared under the same conditions. The alpha diversity of fecal microflora in egg type ducks was significantly higher than that in dual-type ducks. In contrast, there is no significant difference in the fecal microbial community richness between the two groups. MetaStat analysis showed that the abundance of Peptostreptococcaceae, Streptococcaceae, Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, and Campylobacter were significantly different between the two groups. The biomarkers associated with the egg and dual-purpose type ducks were identified using LEfSe analysis and IndVal index. Function prediction of the gut microbiota indicated significant differences between the two groups. The functions of environmental information processing, carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism, and metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides were more abundant in egg type ducks. Conversely, the genetic information processing, nucleotide metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids and secondary metabolites, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, fatty acid elongation, and insulin resistance were significantly enriched in dual-purpose type ducks. This study explored the structure and diversity of the gut microbiota of ducks from different economic-use groups, and provides a reference for improving duck performance by using related probiotics in production.

High accuracy gender determination using the egg shape index

Since only female chicks are used in layer hens, usually hatched male chicks are killed. It is estimated that around 7 billion chicks per year are killed immediately after hatching. In addition to being unethical, this situation also causes great financial losses. Sex determination in chicks can be done before or after hatching. Of course, determinations made before hatching are more advantageous, but the prediction rate is relatively low. The morphology of an egg is expressed in terms of the Shape Index (SI), which is the ratio of the short diameter to the long diameter. In this study, male and female chicks were predicted by using the shape index of the eggs using the RUSBoost Classifier using Shape Index. Although SI varied according to the egg type, a significant correlation (r = 0.78) was observed between chick sex and SI. Therefore, it was possible to estimate gender by utilizing SI in chickens, even if the accuracy of classification was not as high as in ducks. Besides the SI, mass, short axis, long axis, ovality, volume, eccentricity parameters were obtained and used for the results. With this features, females classified with 80% and males classified 81% correctly. The model predictions were applied to the probability of female chick hatching equation from the previous studies, 71% of the estimations were correctly classified according to this equation.With this work, around 80% of accurate predictions were made. In this case, killing 5.65 billion chicks can be prevented. Likewise, many eggs are not wasted. 1.13 billion USD loss can be prevented.

Patterns of stress response to foreign eggs by a rejecter host of an obligate avian brood parasite.

One of the most effective defenses of avian hosts against obligate brood parasites is the ejection of parasitic eggs from the nests. Despite the clear fitness benefits of this behavior, individuals within so-called "egg-rejecter" host species still show substantial variation in their propensity to eliminate foreign eggs from the nest. We argue that this variation can be further understood by studying the physiological mechanisms of host responses to brood parasitic egg stimuli: independent lines of research increasingly support the hypothesis that stress-related physiological response to parasitic eggs may trigger egg rejection. The "stress-mediated egg rejection" hypothesis requires that hosts activate the stress-response when responding to parasitic egg stimuli. We tested this prediction by asking whether hosts showed differential stress response when exposed to host-like (mimetic) or parasite-like (non-mimetic) eggs. We experimentally parasitized incubating American robins Turdus migratorius, a robust egg-rejecter host to obligate brood parasitic brown-headed cowbirds Molothrus ater, with mimetic or non-mimetic model eggs. To assess the stress response, we measured the heart rate in incubating females immediately after experimental parasitism. We also measured plasma corticosterone and, in a subset of birds, used RNA-sequencing to analyze the expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC), a precursor of adrenocorticotropic hormone, 2 h after experimental parasitism. We found that egg type had no effect on heart rate. Two hours following experimental parasitism, plasma corticosterone did not differ between the differently-colored model egg treatments or between rejecter and accepter females within the non-mimetic treatment. However, females exposed to non-mimetic eggs showed an upregulation of POMC gene expression (before FDR correction) in the pituitary compared with females treated with mimetic eggs. Our findings suggest that in an egg-rejecter host species, non-mimetic parasitic eggs may increase the activity of the stress-related hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis compared with mimetic eggs, although the temporaldynamics of this response are not yet understood.

Transfer of the zp3a gene results in changes in egg adhesiveness and buoyancy in transgenic zebrafish.

Reproductive strategies and spawning habits play key roles in the evolution of endemic East Asian cyprinids. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of spawning habits are not well understood. We recently identified zona pellucida (Zp) as the top differentially expressed protein between East Asian cyprinids that produce adhesive and semi-buoyant eggs, suggesting that Zp protein may play important roles in the regulation of egg type. In this work, we generated transgenic zebrafish in which oocyte-specific expression of zp genes from rare minnow ( Gobiocypris rarus), an East Asian cyprinid laying adhesive eggs, was driven by a zebrafish zp3.2 gene promoter. We found that the transgenic eggs obtained partial adhesiveness and exhibited alteration in hydration and buoyancy. Abnormal metabolism of vitellogenin (VTG) may contribute to enhanced hydration and/or buoyancy. Our work shows that expression of the exogenous zp3a gene from an adhesive-egg producing fish is sufficient to induce changes in both egg adhesiveness and buoyancy in zebrafish, emphasizing the important role of zp genes in the regulation of spawning habits. Our results thus provide new insights into how endemic East Asian cyprinids may have adapted to the Yangtze river-lake system via changes in spawning habits.

Floor eggs: Hatchability, microbiological analysis, and effects of post-hatch use of ceftiofur on performance of broiler chicks

The present study aimed to determine the effects of egg type (nest clean or floor eggs) on eggshell microbiological, hatching performance, chick quality, yolk sac microbiology, and the interaction between egg type and post-hatch use of ceftiofur on broiler performance at 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days. A total of 2500 fertile eggs were obtained from a commercial flock of Cobb Slow® broiler breeders. Half of the eggs were collected directly from the floor, and the other half were collected from the nests. Microbiological evaluation of eggshells was performed before and after sanitization. After hatching, 420 male chicks were randomly selected and distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme, separated by the type of egg (clean nest or floor) and the inclusion or not of subcutaneous ceftiofur, totaling four treatments. Egg type did not influence hatchability although the contamination level was 1.3% higher. The body weight and body weight gain of chicks at seven days were greater for chicks from nest eggs that received ceftiofur than chicks from floor eggs that also received ceftiofur. There was no interaction between the studied factors or individual effects for performance at 14, 21, 28, and 35 days. It is concluded that incubation of floor eggs, after standard sanitization, does not influence the hatch results and chick quality. Furthermore, it has been proven that the use of ceftiofur is unnecessary when there is correct management during broiler rearing.

Genetic Improvement of Egg Production and Associated Traits in Egg Type Japanese Quail

Background: Demand for the Japanese quail eggs is increasing due to cheaper cost and alternative to chicken eggs. Development of a separate egg type of Japanese quail strains can fulfill the demand of egg production and nutritional security. With this background, genetic selection was carried out to improve egg production performances of egg type Japanese quail for six generations. Methods: Nandanam quail-3 was utilized as base population for the improvement of production performance in this study. Initially to strengthen the base population random breeding was carried out in Nandanam quail-3 followed by sire family selection for egg production in females and sib selection in males. The mating plan for producing replacement hatch was shift mating in individual cages. The day-old chick weight, body weight at different age, egg production and reproductive performance were recorded in all six generations. Result: The analysis of pooled data for fourth and sixth week body weight indicated a genetic gain of 0.60 g and 0.51 g per generation, respectively with an excellent coefficient of determination (0.92% and 0.93%). The per cent hen housed egg production from 6 to 46 weeks of age increased from 202 to 220 eggs during the course of selection. Linear regression analysis revealed that the increase was significant (P less than 0.01), with appreciable magnitude in positive direction (b=3.77) with excellent of goodness of fit (R2=0.97). Similarly, the hen day egg production during this period also showed significant (P less than 0.01) upward trend (b=3.17) over generations with the trend line showing excellent goodness of fit with observed values (R2= 0.96). The present study concluded that the multi stage selection can improve the body weight and egg production in Japanese quails despite the fact these traits are negatively correlated.

Consumption of Different Egg-Based Diets Minimally, yet Differentially, Impacts Markers Insulin Resistance in Young Healthy Adults

ObjectivesPrevious epidemiological studies have reported conflicting associations between egg consumption and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk. However, many observational, survey-based studies do not fully characterize intake of additional egg-based foods or clearly differentiate between type of egg consumed. Thus, we investigated whether daily intake of whole eggs, egg whites, or an egg-free diet differentially altered markers of T2DM risk in young healthy adults. MethodsYoung, healthy men and women (18–35 y, BMI < 30 kg/m2 or <30% body fat for men and < 40% body fat for women, n = 26) participated in a randomized, crossover intervention trial where they followed an egg-free diet for 4 weeks, then were randomized to consume either 3 whole eggs or 3 egg whites per day for 4 weeks. Participants then followed a 4-week egg-free diet washout period, before switching to the alternative whole egg or egg white diet treatment. Additional egg-based foods were restricted. Fasting serum samples were collected at the end of each diet period to measure markers of T2DM risk. ResultsAverage fasting serum glucose was 90.7 mg/dL at baseline, and did not significantly change between the egg-free, egg white, or whole egg diet periods. Similarly, there were no changes in pro-inflammatory N-acetylglucosamine/galactosamine (GlycA), which is an independent predictor of insulin resistance (IR). Serum amino acids levels were further assessed, as elevated branched-chain amino acids and reduced glycine levels are predictors of prediabetes, IR, and future T2DM. Interestingly, isoleucine levels were increased following the egg white and whole egg diet as compared to the egg-free diet, whereas glycine levels were increased in by the whole egg diet only. Despite these differences, lipoprotein IR index (LP-IR) scores, which take into account NMR lipoprotein particle profiles, and diabetes risk index scores, which are calculated from LP-IR and branched-chain amino acid measures, did not change over the course of the intervention. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that eggs minimally impact IR markers in young healthy adults, with egg whites yielding more adverse changes than whole eggs. Funding SourcesThis study was funded by an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.