Enriched eggs as a source of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for humans

Kralik, Gordana; Kralik, Zlata; Straková, Eva; Grčević, Manuela; Hanžek, Danica

doi:10.2754/avb201786030293

Acta Veterinaria > Archive > 2017, Vol. 86 > Issue 3 > Enriched eggs as a source of n-3…

Acta Vet. Brno 2017, 86: 293-301

https://doi.org/10.2754/avb201786030293

Enriched eggs as a source of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for humans

Gordana Kralik¹, Zlata Kralik¹, Eva Straková², Manuela Grčević³, Danica Hanžek¹

¹Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, Department of Special Zootechniques, Osijek, Croatia
²University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Science Brno, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Nutrition, Animal Husbandry and Animal Hygiene, Brno, Czech Republic
³Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, Department of Special Zootechniques, Osijek, Croatia

Received November 27, 2016
Accepted October 2, 2017

The aim of the research was to enrich eggs with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids by using plant oils and fish oil as dietary supplements in laying hens’ feed. The focus was put on the effect of the daily consumption of 100 g of egg yolk, i.e. 100 g of egg mass, on the human health. The 1^st group of laying hens was fed a diet containing soybean and fish oil, and the 2^nd group was given feed containing a combination of linseed, rapeseed, soybean, and fish oils. Eggs laid by the 2^nd group contained 4.73% α-linolenic acid, 0.20% eicosapentaenoic acid and 2.37% docosahexaenoic acid (% of total fatty acids in yolk lipids, P < 0.001), which marks an increase of × 4.04 for α-linolenic acid, × 3.33 for eicosapentaenoic acid, and × 1.75 for docosahexaenoic acid compared to eggs laid by the 1^st group. Total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in eggs of the 2^nd group were × 2.8 higher than in the 1^st first group. Calculated per 100 g of eggs of the 2^nd group, the intake for the human body corresponds to 435 mg α-linolenic acid, 18.43 mg eicosapentaenoic acid, and 218.2 mg docosahexaenoic acid.

Keywords

Deposition, ALA, EPA, DHA, consumption.

Funding

This paper is a part of the research unit “Research, Production and Medical Testing of Functional Food” within “The Scientific Centre of Excellence for Personalized Health Care” financed by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia.