The effect of lycopene and astaxanthin on the morphological parameters of edible chicken eggs under different storage regimes

Abstract

The effect of feeding lycopene and astaxanthin to laying hens on the morphological parameters of edible eggs was investigated. The experiment consisted of three periods and lasted 90 days. For this, 3 groups of chickens were formed, 15 heads each. The control group was fed complete feed, the first for its research group - lycopene at doses of 20, 40, 60 mg/kg of compound feed, the second research group-astaxanthin at doses of 10, 20, 30 mg/kg of compound feed from 1 to 30, from 31 to 60, from 61 for 90 days, respectively. Eggs were taken from each group of laying hens and divided into two lots. The first batch was stored at 4±0.5 °C, and the second at 12±0.5°C. Both batches of eggs were stored for 30 days. Feeding hens-laying hens with lycopene at a dose of 20, 40, 60 mg/kg or astaxanthin at a dose of 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg of compound feed does not affect the morphological parameters of eggs when stored at 4±0.5 °C. The addition of lycopene at a dose of 20 mg/kg or astaxanthin at a dose of 10 mg/kg of compound feed, at a temperature of 12±0.5 °C for 30 days, contributed to a decrease in the weight of chicken eggs by 0.66 and 0.92%, respectively, which happened by reducing the mass of protein by 1.01 and 1.73%, respectively. Storage of eggs for 30 days at a temperature of 12±0.5 °C obtained from chickens fed with supplements of both lycopene at a dose of 40 mg/kg and astaxanthin at a dose of 20 mg/kg of compound feed contributed to a decrease in egg weight by 0.75% and the mass of protein-by 1.13%, respectively, and by 0.78% – the mass of eggs and the mass of protein – by 1.02%, respectively. Storage of eggs from chickens that received supplements of lycopene at a dose of 60 mg/kg or astaxanthin at a dose of 30 mg/kg of compound feed at a temperature of 12±0.5 °C led to a decrease in the weight of eggs by 0.71 and 0.67%, respectively, and the weight of protein by 1.19 and 1.56%, respectively.