Supplementation of Laying-Hen Feed with Annatto Tocotrienols and Impact of alpha-Tocopherol on Tocotrienol Transfer to Egg Yolk

摘要

Hens can efficiently transfer nutrients from their feed to the eggs. Tocotrienols (T3s) have various health benefits including lowering cholesterol. Annatto is the only known source of T3s without the presence of alpha-tocopherol; hence it can be used to study T3 transfer without the interference of alpha-tocopherol. In this study, hens were fed diets for 7 weeks containing annatto at 100, 500, or 2000 ppm (by weight) and also 2000 ppm annatto with 200, 600, or 1000 ppm of added alpha-tocopherol to study the effect of alpha-tocopherol on transfer of T3s. No significant differences were found in egg production or properties. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in transfer efficiencies of tocopherol and T3s to the yolks. alpha-Tocopherol was transferred more efficiently (21.19-49.17%) than gamma-T3 (0.50-0.96%) or delta-T3 (0.74-0.93%). Addition of 1000 ppm of alpha-tocopherol decreased the amount of gamma-T3 but did not impact the transfer of delta-T3 to the egg. These feeding treatments did not impact the cholesterol content of the eggs.