The e ects of non-saponified lutein from marigold flower meal (MFM) and saponified lutein from marigold flower extract (MFE) on chicken egg yolk coloration was evaluated. A total of laying hens were randomly divided into groups: the basal diet ( mg/kg lutein; control) was supplemented with , , , and mg/kg lutein from MFM or MFE. During the three-week feeding experiment period, birds had free access to feed and water, and feed consumption and egg production were recorded weekly. Five eggs per group were evaluated weekly for egg quality such as shell-breaking strength, shell thickness, shell ratio, albumen ratio, yolk ratio, yolk color, and Haugh units. The egg yolk color was visually examined using the Roche Yolk Color Fan. The egg yolk color was further examined for yolk color, yellow index, lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*), ratio of redness to yellowness (a/b), chroma, and spectrum wavelength reflectance using a spectrophotometer, an objective method. Feed consumption, body weight, egg production, egg mass, and egg quality with the exception of egg yolk color were not a ected significantly by the dietary treatments. Compared with the yolk color parameters of the control, those of the dietary treatment groups tended to be higher; and the mg/kg lutein from MFM group and the , , and mg/kg lutein from MFE groups were significantly increased ( . ). In two-way ANOVA, the visual and objective egg yolk colors, a* and a/b were improved by both the dietary lutein treatment ( . ) and the lutein supplementation levels ( . ). It was concluded that dietary lutein enhances egg yolk color at levels of approximately to mg/kg, and that saponified lutein from MFE appears to be more e ective in egg yolk color than non-saponified lutein from MFM.: egg yolk color, lutein, marigold, spectrophotometer the ability to transport to of these pigments into their yolks from the ingested feed (Bartov and Bornsteins, Yolk color preference varies considerably depending on ). Therefore, pigments of either natural or synthetic the area of the world (Delgado-Vargas ); origins are added to hen diets to achieve the desired yolk people in Europe and Asia prefer yolk coloration between color (Taweesak, ; Santos-Bocanegra ; and on the Roche Yolk Color Fan (RYCF) Roberts, ), though some countries such as Sweden do (Galobart ). As layer hens cannot synthesize not allow the use of synthetic pigments (Roberts, ). the pigments present in egg yolks, many poultry farmers Dietary natural pigments could a ect yolk pigmentation cannot produce the egg yolk color most in demand (Hilton ; Belyavin, ). (Brahmakshatriya and Shrivastava, ), and poultry It is well known that xanthophylls produce the main industries in many countries are facing a problem with pigment in egg yolk and are present in natural poultry feed supplying the market with this desirable egg yolk pigmeningredients such as maize, various grasses, alfalfa meal tation (Hasin

COLOR-UP® and COLOR-UP YELLOW-S

The present study aims to investigate the effects of dietary ® (extract of fermented wheat flour with Pantoea agglomerans) and plant extracts (red clover and garlic) on eggshell quality and structure and intestinal histology. Sixty-six Boris Brown laying hens (30 weeks old) were allotted to 3 groups, each with eleven replicates of two chickens. The control group was fed a basal diet (18% crude protein, 2850 kcal/kg ME) and the other groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.1% Pantoea-6 ® (including 0.06 g/kg lipopolysaccharide) and 0.1% plant extracts, respectively. There were no significant differences in laying performance and egg quality. However, these adverse effects occurred in the egg and albumen weight and eggshell breaking strength of the Pantoea-6 ® and plant extracts groups (P<0.05). Shell weight of the Pantoea-6 ® group was significantly higher than the other groups (P<0.05). Compared with the control, eggshell structure tended to have greater thickness in both dietary Pantoea-6 ® and plant extracts groups. The duodenum and jejunum of both Pantoea-6 ® and plant extracts groups showed higher values for cell area than those of the control (P<0.05). Moreover, cells on the villus tip surface were protuberated in both dietary ® and plant extracts groups, resulting in a rough surface. This study shows that Pantoea-6 ® and plant extracts at a 0.1% level might have a beneficial effect on egg and albumen weight, eggshell quality and structure parameters, as well as on small intestine histological parameters.

Enhancing egg yolk color by feeding laying hens paprika extract (Color-Up, Kohkin Chemical Co. Ltd., Higashiosaka, Japan; 5 g of xanthophylls/kg) and potentially accelerating the process by concurrent feeding of a probiotic (Balantol powder, Kohkin Chemical Co. Ltd.; 10 7 of lactic acid bacterium Enterococcus faecium BIO-4R/g) was examined. A total of 144 twentyfive-week-old laying hens were randomly assigned to 3 groups: a basal diet group (17.5% CP, 2,750 kcal of ME/kg; control), the basal diet plus 0.1% dietary paprika group, and the basal diet plus 0.1% dietary paprika plus 0.1% probiotic group. Each group consisted of 4 replicates with 12 birds. Hen egg production was recorded daily from 25 to 34 wk of age. Twelve eggs per diet group were evaluated weekly for egg quality. No differences were found in any parameter measured except for egg yolk color. Egg yolk color scores were greater in the paprika group (11.69) than in the control group (9.71; P < 0.05). The egg yolk color scores of the paprika plus probiotic group (12.00) were not significantly different from those of the paprika group. We concluded that paprika extract improved egg yolk color, whereas the probiotic combined with paprika extract did not affect egg yolk color at a level of 10 7 cfu/g.