Feeding Laying Ducks Eucommia ulmoides oliv. Leaves Increases the n-3 Fatty Acids Content and Decreases the n-6: n-3 PUFA Ratio in Egg Yolk without Affecting Laying Performance or Egg Quality

• Published in: Foods 2023-01, Vol.12 (2), p.287
• Main Authors: Feng, Yulong, Dai, Guotao, Han, Xue, Li, Meijuan, Zhao, Degang, Wu, Jiahai, Wu, Yongbao, Wen, Zhiguo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anticoagulants; Aquatic birds; Bioengineering; Carotenoids; Cholesterol; Diet; Dietary supplements; Ducks; Eggs; Eucommia ulmoides; Eucommia ulmoides oliv; Experiments; Fatty acids; Flavonoids; Food science; Globulins; High density lipoprotein; laying ducks; Lipids; n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Plasma; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Poultry; Proteins; Seeds; Waterfowl; Wildfowl; Yolk
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods12020287

The objective was to determine the effects of supplementing duck diets with Eucommia ulmoides oliv. leaf powder (EUL). Laying ducks (n = 480) were randomly allocated into 4 experimental treatments and fed diets containing 0, 1, 2, or 4% EUL. Dietary inclusion of EUL had no effect (p > 0.05) on laying performance or egg quality, but linearly increased (p < 0.05) total plasma protein, globulin, and HDL-C concentrations with concurrent reductions (p < 0.05) in plasma concentrations of cholesterol and LDL-C. Eggs laid by ducks receiving EUL had yolks with linearly higher phenolic concentrations (p < 0.05) but lower cholesterol concentrations (p < 0.05). EUL supplementation in duck diets significantly reduced n-6: n-3 PUFA ratio by enriching n-3 fatty acids in yolks (p < 0.05) with no changes in n-6 PUFA (p >0.05).