Laying hens were fed diets containing sunflower, fish, linseed and rapeseed oil with 2 levels of inclusion (1.5 and 3.0%) for 12 weeks. Egg production, egg weight, feed intake, feed conversion and liveweight were not significantly affected by the treatments. Hens receiving sunflower oil produced less intensively coloured egg yolks than those received other oils in their diet (P<0.01). The fatty acid composition of the egg yolk was significantly (P<0.01) affected by the treatment, while cholesterol content was not influenced. There was a significant (P<0.05) interaction between fat source and the level of inclusion in the diet, linolenic acid content increased when hens were fed diet with 3% of linseed and rapeseed oil. Dietary fish oil significantly (P<0.01) increased the deposition of docosohexaenoic acid in the egg yolk. Sensory panelists scored as unacceptable those eggs from hens provided feed with 3% fish oil.

In the present study, the effects of dietary supplementation of organic and inorganic Mn, Zn, Cu, and Cr mixtures using two different levels (80, 60, 5, and 0.15 mg/kg and 40, 30, 2.5, and 0.07 mg/kg, respectively) on the bioavailability of these trace minerals and Ca in late-phase laying hens were evaluated. Three hundred and sixty laying hens (Barred Rock) at 50 weeks of age were used, and the duration of study was 16 weeks. Each of the four dietary regimes was randomly assigned to six replicates, which included 15 hens each. Organic trace minerals were provided as methionine chelates; inorganic Mn, Zn, and Cr were provided as oxides; and Cu was provided as sulfate. The organic form significantly increased the concentrations of serum Mn, Zn, Cu, and Ca; egg Mn, Zn, Cu, and Cr; and eggshell Zn and Cr compared with the inorganic form. However, the form of trace minerals did not affect the concentrations of serum Cr and eggshell Mn, Cu, and Ca. High-level addition of trace minerals significantly increased serum Mn and Zn; egg Mn, Zn, Cu, and Cr; and eggshell Mn, Zn, and Cu concentrations compared with low-level addition but did not affect serum Cu, Cr, and Ca or eggshell Cr and Ca concentrations. While the organic form reduced the excretion of Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Ca, the high-level supplement increased Mn, Zn, and Cu excretion. The addition level did not affect Cr and Ca excretion. These results demonstrate that dietary supplementation of an organic Mn, Zn, Cu, and Cr mixture increases the bioavailability of Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Ca compared with inorganic sources and that a lower level of trace mineral supplementation results in lower mineral excretion, particularly in an organic form.

BackgroundDietary intake of lycopene has been associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer, suggesting its chemopreventive potential against ovarian carcinogenesis. Lycopene’s molecular mechanisms of action in ovarian cancer have not been fully understood. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of lycopene on the ovarian cancer formation using the laying hen model, a biologically relevant animal model of spontaneous ovarian carcinogenesis due to high incidence rates similar to humans.MethodsIn this study, a total of 150 laying hens at age of 102 weeks were randomized into groups of 50: a control group (0 mg of lycopene per kg of diet) and two treatment groups (200 mg or 400 mg of lycopene per kg of diet, or ~26 and 52 mg/d/hen, respectively). At the end of 12 months, blood, ovarian tissues and tumors were collected.ResultsWe observed that lycopene supplementation significantly reduced the overall ovarian tumor incidence (P < 0.01) as well as the number and the size of the tumors (P < 0.004 and P < 0.005, respectively). Lycopene also significantly decreased the rate of adenocarcinoma, including serous and mucinous subtypes (P < 0.006). Moreover, we also found that the serum level of oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde was significantly lower in lycopene-fed hens compared to control birds (P < 0.001). Molecular analysis of the ovarian tumors revealed that lycopene reduced the expression of NF-κB while increasing the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2 and its major target protein, heme oxygenase 1. In addition, lycopene supplementation decreased the expression of STAT3 by inducing the protein inhibitor of activated STAT3 expression in the ovarian tissues.ConclusionsTaken together, our findings strongly support the potential of lycopene in the chemoprevention of ovarian cancer through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

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In this study dietary boron at different doses (0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg feed) was supplemented to layers from 4 to 64 weeks of age. There was no significant difference between treatments with respect of mortality, egg production, egg weight, egg mass and cracked eggs. Significant increases were observed in body weight as age rose. Body weight was not affected by dietary boron supplementation at 16 and 40 weeks of age. At 64 weeks of age boron additions of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg to the diet resulted in significant lower body weights than that of the control group. Egg quality parameters; albumen height and Haugh units, were improved when 25 or 50 mg boron/kg diet was supplemented above the other treatments. Shape index, shell thickness, shell breaking strength were not affected by treatments, though 25 mg boron/kg diet tended to increase shell breaking strength. Tibia bone strength and phosphorus content in the tibia and femur were not affected by boron supplementation. Boron supplementation at 25 and 50 mg/kg significantly increased femur bone strength, and ash and calcium content of the tibia and femur bones. Concentration of boron in bone increased with the increase in dietary boron.