Content and uptake of minerals in the yolk of broiler embryos during incubation and effect of nutrient enrichment

Abstract

Although embryo and chicken growth and development rely on mineral nutrition, information on mineral levels in the egg compartments during incubation is limited. Accordingly, we examined P, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn levels in the yolk of breeder eggs during incubation and the effect of embryonic mineral (with specific nutrients) enrichment on yolk mineral levels and consumption. First, fertile eggs were examined on day of setting (DOS), embryonic day (E) 11, E13, E15, E17, E19, E20, and day of hatch (DOH) for the mineral content in the yolk (and albumen on DOS) by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Results showed that on DOS, the yolk is the major origin for Mn, P, Fe, Ca, Cu, and Zn. Interestingly, P, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn were mostly consumed from the yolk until E17, after which their consumption was very low. Consumption of P was constant until E17 and then decreased until E20. Consumption of Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn was medium to mild until E11, increased between E11 and E17, and minimal between E17 and DOH. Enrichment treatment, where fertile eggs were divided into 2 groups [nonenriched (control) and enriched (with minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates on E17 using the in ovo feeding method)] showed that the enriched group had higher Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn levels than the nonenriched group and exhibited higher consumption of Fe, Zn, and Mn between E20 and DOH. Analysis of the shell mineral composition along incubation showed that the shell released low amounts of P, Fe, and Mn in comparison with the yolk mineral content. Therefore, we concluded that the shell is a minor source of these minerals. Studying the mineral resources and consumption of embryos can lead to a better understanding of the mineral limitations of embryos during incubation. Additionally, because minerals are important for the development of the embryo, the higher mineral levels and consumption observed in the enriched group may affect the development of critical organs, such as the skeletal system.

Effect of hen age, environmental temperature, and oviposition time on egg shell quality and egg shell and serum mineral contents in laying and broiler breeder hens

“…Shell Mg content was unaffected by ambient temperature but it was significantly higher in eggs from older hens as reported by Waddell et al (1991), who suggested that magnesium distribution would also alter with increasing bird age, by Cusack et al (2003), who revealed a greater increase in magnesium content in the outer region of egg shells from older birds, and by Yair and Uni (2011), who assumed that layer age-related changes occur in shell mineral composition. This higher Mg content in older hens is the more interesting because there were no differences in egg shell thickness between young and old birds.…”

In ovotrace element supplementation enhances expression of growth genes in embryo and immune genes in post-hatch broiler chickens

“…The yolk is the major storage compartment of nutrients for embryos but most of the trace elements (Zn, I, or Se) are exhausted by the late embryonic stage. In ovo supplementation of iron, zinc, copper and manganese helped to improve the mineral levels in the yolk along with higher embryonic mineral consumption . The decreased hatchability in the selenium‐treated eggs could be attributed to dose‐related toxicity that usually occurs when the body's ability to excrete excess Se is compromised .…”

“…The concentration of trace elements such as zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) decreases significantly to almost 50% in the first 2 weeks of embryonic life and are mostly consumed from the residual yolk by the day of hatch (DOH) . Zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) play a vital role in numerous biological processes as a component of many enzymes and are also essential for growth, skeletal development and immune competence in chicken .…”

Long-Term Transcriptomic Effects of Prebiotics and Synbiotics Delivered In Ovo in Broiler Chickens

“…For this method to be effective, it is important to select the optimal embryonic stage for the delivery. In chickens, in ovo technology has been used mainly on the 18 th day of embryonic development (ED) for the intramuscular injection of the vaccines against Marek's disease [14] or on the 17.5 th day of ED for in ovo feeding of the embryos with the nutrients (e.g., carbohydrates, beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl-butyrate, minerals, vitamins and oligosaccharides) that enhance development of the chicks and growing birds [15–19]. But, for the in ovo delivery of prebiotics and synbiotics, an earlier time point, i.e., the 12 th day of ED, has been proven empirically, more effective [20].…”

“…However, the most basic phenotype that reflects the primary reaction of an individual to the particular treatment is the modulation of gene expressions in specific cells or tissues. In our earlier studies, we determined that in ovo delivery of synbiotics, consisting of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) and Lactococcus lactis subsp., significantly up-regulated IL-4 , IL-6 , IFNB , and IL-18 in the spleen (S) and down-regulated IL-4 , IL-6 , IL-8 , IL-12 , IFNB , and IFNG in the cecal tonsils (CT) of a native chicken breed at 42 days old [19]. We also detected a down-regulation of immune-related gene expression in the S and CT of broiler chickens injected in ovo with inulin or galactooligosaccharides (GOS) combined with L .…”