title: Effect of feeding low-fiber fraction of air-classified sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) meal on laying hen productive performance and egg yolk cholesterol.
abstract: The present study was designed to determine the effect on laying performance and egg quality resulting from total substitution of soybean meal (SBM) with low-fiber sunflower meal (SFM; Helianthus annus L.) meal in diet of hens. ISA Brown layers, 28 wk of age, were randomly allocated to 2 dietary treatments and fed for 10 wk. The hens were kept in a free-range environment and fed 2 wheat middling-based diets consisting of a control diet, which contained SBM (153 g/kg of diet), and a test diet containing low-fiber SFM (160 g/kg of diet) as the main protein source. Each dietary treatment was replicated 4 times. Low-fiber SFM was obtained by a combination of sieving and air classification processes. Feed consumption was recorded daily and egg production was calculated on a hen-day basis; eggs from each group were collected weekly to evaluate egg components and quality. The total substitution of SBM with low-fiber SFM had no adverse effect on growth performance of laying hens. Egg production and none of egg quality traits examined were influenced by dietary treatment, except for yolk color (P < 0.05) and percentage of large-size eggs (P < 0.05) that were improved in hens fed the low-fiber SFM diet. Including low-fiber SFM decreased serum and egg yolk total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.001), and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level. Our results suggest that the replacement of conventional soybean with low-fiber sunflower meal may be a valid alternative in diets for laying hens to improve egg quality and to develop low-cholesterol eggs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano 70010, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Laudadio
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano 70010, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ceci
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano 70010, Italy.
authors.forename: N M B
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Lastella
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano 70010, Italy vincenzo.tufarelli@uniba.it.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tufarelli
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006368:Helianthus / Q000737:chemistry*; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: air classification; cholesterol; egg quality; laying hen; sunflower meal