Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Morteza Rezaei ¹
• Nima Eila ²

¹ 1- Morteza Rezaei, Assistant professor, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran (ASRI), Agriculture Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj , Iran

² Professor Assistant of Poultry Nutrition at Islamic Azad University-Karaj Branch,Karaj,IRAN

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of pigments extracted from Red bell Pepper with the synthetic pigments (Canthaxanthin) on performance and egg quality of laying hens. A total of 64 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens at 75 weeks of age, were randomly divided into four equal groups each with 4 replications. A completely randomized design with 4 treatment and 4 replications in each treatment was conducted to study the effects of 4 treatments including: 1- control diet (without addition of any pigments), 2- control diet + 25 mg/kg synthetic red Canthaxanthin pigments, 3- control diet + 15 mg/kg extracted pigments from red bell pepper, and 4- control diet + 30 mg/kg extracted pigments from red pepper. Extraction of pigments from red pepper was carried out using Hexane solvent and subsequently saponified by KOH. The results showed that egg production and egg quality were not affected by any of the treatments but the index of yolk color was significantly higher in laying hens fed either natural or synthetic pigments compared to  control  (P<0.01). The oxidative stability of yolk’s lipids in the eggs stored at 18^oC for 21 days, was significantly improved in the hens received red pepper pigments (P<0.05). It was concluded that synthetic pigments in the diet of laying hens can be substituted with 30 mg/kg natural pigments extracted from red bell pepper.

Keywords

• Canthaxanthin
• Oxidative stability
• Oxy Carotenoids
• pigment extraction
• Red bell pepper
• Yolk color index

20.1001.1.20096776.1396.19.4.15.7