title: Diet supplementation with a specific melon concentrate improves oviduct antioxidant defenses and egg characteristics in laying hens.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of a specific melon concentrate on oviduct antioxidant defenses and egg characteristics of laying hens.Lohmann Brown hens were assigned to 2 treatment groups (n = 16 in each). One group was supplemented with the melon concentrate (26 mg/kg of feed) during 6 wk. The other group was composed of untreated hens, which served as control. Eggs were collected, weighed (yolk, albumen, shell), and analyzed (Haugh unit and albumen pH relevant for egg freshness) at the end of the supplementation period. Antioxidant status was evaluated in the oviduct measuring antioxidant enzymes by western blotting.This study demonstrated that the melon concentrate could ameliorate egg weight, and particularly yolk contribution to egg weight and egg shell weight. An increase in endogenous antioxidant defenses in the oviduct after this melon concentrate supplementation could explain the better egg characteristics. The improvement of egg quality, due to melon concentrate, may have important economic implications for future breeding programs, particularly if these effects generalize from hens to other poultry species, or even other livestock animal species.
authors.affiliation: Bionov Research, Montpellier, France UMR Nutripass, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carillon
authors.affiliation: Lallemand SAS, Blagnac, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barbé
authors.affiliation: UMR Nutripass, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barial
authors.affiliation: UMR Nutripass, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saby
authors.affiliation: Lallemand SAS, Blagnac, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sacy
authors.affiliation: UMR Nutripass, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France jeanmax.rouanet@9online.fr.
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rouanet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D019662:Cucurbitaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D010057:Oviducts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010058:Oviposition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: endogenous antioxidant defense; hen; melon concentrate; oviduct; yolk contribution to egg weight