Investigation of the carotenoid composition of chicken egg yolk.

摘要

In this study, egg yolks from chicken egg samples produced from Belgorod and Kursk Regions, Russia, were analysed for carotenoid composition. Initially, the egg yolks were separated from the white and thoroughly homogenized in a chemical beaker with 20 ml of solvent. The mixture obtained was filtered, the sediment further pressed out of the liquid, and washed on a filter twice with the same solvent. The solution was subjected to photometry to determine total carotenoid content. Results showed that the total carotenoid content ranges from 10 to 70 micro g/g. The ratio of specific carotenoids, i.e., lutein [xanthophyll] and zeaxanthin, in the analysed samples were close to 4:1. The use of ORO GLO as feed additive for laying hens increased the xanthophyll content of the egg yolks to >100 micro g/g..