Citrullus lanatus essential oils inclusion in diets elicit nutraceutical effects on egg production, egg quality, and physiological characteristics in layer hens

The study evaluated the effects of Citrullus lanatus essential oils inclusion in diet on egg production, egg quality, and physiological parameters in layer hens. A total of 72 White Leghorn point-of-lay hens at 18 wk were used for the study. The hens were randomly allocated to following 3 dietary tr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Poultry science 2020-06, Vol.99 (6), p.3038-3046
Main Authors: Marume, U., Mokagane, J.M., Shole, C.O., Hugo, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Feed - analysis
Animals
bone development
Chickens - physiology
Citrullus - chemistry
Diet - veterinary
Dietary Supplements - analysis
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
egg production
egg quality
essential oils
Female
health
Management and Production
Oils, Volatile - administration & dosage
Oils, Volatile - metabolism
Ovum - physiology
Random Allocation
Reproduction - drug effects
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Summary:The study evaluated the effects of Citrullus lanatus essential oils inclusion in diet on egg production, egg quality, and physiological parameters in layer hens. A total of 72 White Leghorn point-of-lay hens at 18 wk were used for the study. The hens were randomly allocated to following 3 dietary treatments: 1) commercial layer diet (control), 2) commercial diet + 1 g C. lanatus essential oil/kg feed (1gCL), and 3) commercial diet + 2 g C. lanatus essential oil/kg feed (2gCL). Each treatment was replicated 8 times arranged in completely randomized design. From the results, an increase in total weight gain, average daily feed intake, and average daily gain was observed with inclusion of the C. lanatus essential oil. In addition, the inclusion of C. lanatus in diet improved the egg mass and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Hens fed C. lanatus–containing diets had higher egg mass (1gCL, 53.35 g ± 0.71; 2gCL, 53.99 ± 0.71 g) compared with the control (52.90 ± 0.71). The C. lanatus containing diets also had lower FCR than the control (1gCL [2.18 ± 0.22] and 2gCL [2.16 ± 0.22] vs. control [2.20 ± 0.71]). With regards to egg quality parameters, inclusion of C. lanatus oil appeared to reduce shell weight and shell ratio, while increasing albumen height and Haugh unit. Diets containing C. lanatus had significantly higher amounts of stearic acid, and linoleic acid was highest (P 
ISSN:0032-5791
1525-3171
DOI:10.1016/j.psj.2020.01.029