20th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition | 24–27 August 2015 | Prague, Czech Republic

P-028 (ID 214)

CANTHAXANTHIN FROM CAROPHYLL® RED CAN IMPROVE THE VITELLINE MEMBRANE STRENGTH IN STORED EGGS FROM BREEDER HENS

C. Hamelin1, and F. Cisneros²

1 DSM, 19 avenue Dubonnet, 92400 Courbevoie, France ² DSM, Wurmisweg 576, Kaiseraugst 4303, Switzerland

Corresponding author: catherine.hamelin@dsm.com

Abstract

Hatchability is certainly a key performance and profitability parameter for chick producers. Storing hatching eggs is a current practice and this can damage hatchability results. Canthaxanthin, as an antioxidant, is particularly effective for supporting hatchability. The vitelline membrane strength (VMS) is very important to the early embryo survival that can-thaxanthin can promote it. The experiment involved a flock of 3,800 breeders (males and females) separated into two adjacent blocks. Feeding experiment started at 18 weeks of age with a control diet as 3000 IU/kg Vitamin D3 and no Carophyll® supplementation and experimental diet as 1,600 IU/kg vitamin D3, 37.5 µg/kg 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 (HyD®) & 6 mg/kg canthaxanthin (Carophyll® Red 10%). Vitamin D3 or 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 were not expected to have any influence on the VMS. Eggs were collected at 40/45 weeks and stored 7 days. The VMS was evaluated using a com-pression machine. Stiffness and breaking strength were significantly increased with the supplementation of canthaxan-thin. Thanks to the unique capabilities of high deposition rate in the yolk and singlet oxygen quenching capabilities, canthaxanthin from Carophyll® can improve the VMS in complement to Vitamin E and we hypothesized that it contrib-utes to explain its influence on early embryo viability and hatchability in breeder performance.

Keywords: canthaxanthin, vitelline membrane, stored eggs, broiler breeders, strength

Introduction

Hatchability is certainly a key performance and profitability parameter for chick producers. At commercial level, there is often a bigger gap between fertility and hatchability than the genetics standard settings. It is well known that hatchability declines with age, partly explained by a lower egg quality. Storing hatching eggs for extended periods is a current prac-tice in the broiler breeder industry due to uncoordinated demand for hatchlings in the market. The egg storage can also damage the hatchability and these increases with old flocks. Canthaxanthin is particularly effective for supporting hatchability. DSM was the first company to get the approval for canthaxanthin use in breeder diet (EU regulation No 684/2014). Canthaxanthin can improve early embryo survival as shown in a breeder study where the embryonic mortal-ity was significantly reduced from 12.66% to 10.81% (Souza et al, 2008).

Vitelline membrane separates the yolk content from the albumen. The vitelline membrane strength (VMS) is reduced in aged eggs (Kirunda and McKee, 2000). The protein elasticity is crucial for VMS. Oxidation reduces the protein elasticity and the VMS. The vitelline membrane protects the embryo (pH 6) from the high pH of the albumen (pH 9.4). If it is too weak then the embryo will die. The embryo progressively gets surrounded by the yolk sac and is totally protected in the yolk sac between day 3 and 4 of incubation (Sadler, 1995).

Material and Methods

The objective of this experiment was to study the influence of Canthaxanthin from Carophyll® Red on the VMS in eggs from breeder hens. The experiment involved a flock of 3,800 breeders (males and females). They were placed in a laying house equipped with a floor system (1/3 slat, 2/3 litter) and separated into two adjacent blocks. Control diet con-tained 3,000 IU Vitamin D3. It was based on corn, wheat, soya and sunflower meals; Vit E 60 IU/kg, Vit A 14,000 IU/kg, Se 0.3 ppm (including 0.05 organic Se). Supplementation with MaxiChick® started 3 weeks before the laying period (at 18 weeks), males and females both supplemented with 1,600 IU/kg vitamin D3, 37.5 µg/kg 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 (HyD®) & 6 ppm canthaxanthin. Vitamin D3 or 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 were not expected to have any influence on the VMS. Average hatchability rates (% fertile eggs) were 72.2 % in the control and 77.6 % in the MaxiChick® group from 21 to 51 weeks of age (the flock was killed at 51 weeks because of sanitary concerns). Eggs were collected at 40/45 weeks and stored 7 days. The VMS was evaluated using a compression machine MTS Synergy 200 a cylindrical probe with a diameter of 2 mm. Compression speed was 42 mm/mn. Each egg was cracked and the egg content was spread

ESPN 2015

on a plastic plate. The probe moved towards the yolk to penetrate through the yolk vitelline membrane in the equatorial region and the VMS was measured. Stiffness (or rigidity) is the property of a solid body to resist deformation. Breaking strength (or fracture strength) is the maximum force applied on the yolk before the breaking of the membrane occurs. Statistics were run with R 3.0.2 software. Data were analyzed for normality test (Shapiro) and were significantly different when p<0.05.

Results/discussion

The VMS was significantly increased by the MaxiChick® supplementation.

Table 1. Vitelline membrane strength according to the treatment

Control MaxiChick® Statistics (T test)

Number eggs 209 172

VM Stiffness (mN/mm) 7.0 +/- 1.0 7.2 +/- 0.9 P<0.05

VM breaking strength (mN/mm) 42.4 +/- 8.2 44.4 +/- 7.7 P<0.05

Oxidation occurs in any bodies living in an atmosphere with oxygen O². Radical oxygen species (ROS) are derived from the use of O². They are unstable and react with lipids, protein and cause damages to the tissues. Singlet oxygen 1O2 is a very reactive ROS and canthaxanthin quenches the energy of 1O2 and release it as heat. No chemical reaction is involved and the carotenoid is not consumed. Canthaxanthin has a high singlet oxygen quenching capacity among commercially available carotenoids (Cantrell et al, 2002) because of its long symmetric chain of double bonds carbon (Figure 1). Canthaxanthin is also used to regenerate oxidized Vitamin E to be able to capture a new ROS (Surai, 2012). During the first 3-4 days of egg incubation, the main generation of ROS occurs inside the yolk coming from the oxida-tion of unsaturated fatty acids and the cell division of the embryo (Surai, 2012). Increasing dosages of Vitamin E from 50 to 150 IU/kg could strengthen the vitelline membrane (Scheideler et al, 2010). Selenium had no significant effect on VMS (Scheideler et al, 2010; Monsalve, 2004). Selenium is not an antioxidant per se. Selenium forms part of the active site of the Glutathione peroxidase which main function is the protection of the albumen and not the yolk or the vitelline membrane (Surai, 2002). Vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant but it is not deposited in the egg and not produced by the embryo before 3 days of incubation. Beta-carotene is not efficiently transferred to the yolk of chicken eggs. All-trans-canthaxanthin from Carophyll® is well absorbed and deposited in the yolk. According to Grashorn and Steinberg, 2002, the deposition rate was 40% in the yolk. The diets for breeders do contain some carotenoids from corn but in a low amount. Therefore vitamin E and canthaxanthin are the only antioxidants present in high enough quantities to be of any protective use in the yolk during the first 3-4 days of incubation.

Figure 1. Canthaxanthin

Conclusions

Thanks to the unique capabilities of high deposition rate and singlet oxygen quenching capabilities, canthaxanthin from Carophyll® can improve the vitelline membrane strength in complement to Vitamin E and we hypothesized that it con-tributes to explain its influence on early embryo viability and hatchability in breeder performance.

20th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition | 24–27 August 2015 | Prague, Czech Republic

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