Effect of feeding hemp seed and hemp seed oil on laying hen performance and egg yolk fatty acid content: Evidence of their safety and efficacy for laying hen diets

Abstract

Forty-eight 19-wk-old Bovan White laying hens were fed 1 of 5 diets containing either hemp seed (HS) or hemp seed oil (HO). The level of HO was 4, 8, or 12%, whereas the level was 10 or 20% for the HS. A set of 8 birds fed wheat-, barley-, and corn oil-based diets served as the control. Performance was monitored over 12 wk. Average hen-day egg production was not affected upon feeding of either HS or HO diets. Egg weight was higher than that of the controls for hens consuming the 20% HS diet (P < 0.05). Feed intake was lower than that of the controls for birds consuming the 4% HO diet but similar across other treatments. Final BW were not affected by diet, with the exception of being lower than that of the controls (P < 0.05) in hens consuming the 12% HO diet. The total egg yolk n-3 fatty acid content increased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary α-linolenic acid provision with the HS- or HO-based diets. A quadratic response (P < 0.05) was observed for docosahexaenoic acid levels in egg yolk in response to increasing dietary α-linolenic acid supply. The expression of hepatic fatty acid desaturase 1 and 2, key genes for the desaturation of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, was significantly decreased (50-60% of controls; P < 0.05) as a result of feeding HS or HO diets. Based on the results from the current study, the inclusion of the hemp products HS or HO in the diets of laying hens up to a maximum level of 20 and 12%, respectively, does not adversely effect the performance of laying hens and leads to the enrichment of the n-3 fatty acid content of eggs.

Improving the fatty acid profile in egg yolk through the use of hempseed (&lt;i&gt;Cannabis sativa&lt;/i&gt;), ginger (&lt;i&gt;Zingiber officinale&lt;/i&gt;), and turmeric (&lt;i&gt;Curcuma longa&lt;/i&gt;) in the diet of Hy-Line White Leghorns

“…Contrary to the potential of industrial hempseed, its use in the poultry diet is not recommended due to a lack of scientific evidence to support nutritional efficacy (Gakhar et al, 2012). Previous reports have shown that the addition of hempseed can potentially generate n-3-enriched eggs (Silversides and Lefrançois, 2005;Gakhar et al, 2012;Neijat et al, 2015). In the present study, the results are encouraging since the profile of fatty acids improved significantly.…”

“…The fatty acid profile of egg yolk could be altered by adding natural sources of n-3 PUFA into the diet of the hen (Baucells et al, 2000). Contrary to the potential of industrial hempseed, its use in the poultry diet is not recommended due to a lack of scientific evidence to support nutritional efficacy (Gakhar et al, 2012). Previous reports have shown that the addition of hempseed can potentially generate n-3-enriched eggs (Silversides and Lefrançois, 2005;Gakhar et al, 2012;Neijat et al, 2015).…”

“…Among the various animal food stuffs evaluated for ω-3 fatty acid enhancement, hen egg has been reported as the easiest and the most successful means of adding ω-3 fatty acid to the human diet (Leskanich and Noble, 1997;Baucells et al, 2000;Cherian et al, 2007;Neijat et al, 2015). Different materials originating from plants, such as flaxseed, chia, and hempseed (Cherian and Sim, 1991;Ayerza and Coates, 1999;Gakhar et al, 2012;Neijat et al, 2015), and various full-fat seeds (Mazalli et al, 2004) are extremely successful in improving the fatty acid profile in eggs.…”

Dual behavior ofN-acetylcysteine during ethanol-induced oxidative stress in embryonic chick brains

“…19-), and elongases (ELOVL2; EC 2.3.1.199-and ELOVL5; EC 2.3.1.199-). [38][39][40][41][42] In hyperglycemic humans and chick embryos, desaturases act on multiple substrates but prefer n-3 fatty acid substrates as compared to n-6 fatty acids. 36,43 As medium NAC-and/or EtOH and medium NAC-induced peroxidation initially attacked DHA (22:6, n-3), coupled with the virtual nonexistence of α-linolenic acid (18:3, n-3) (Table 1), Δ 5 -and Δ 6 -desaturases perhaps began the elongation and desaturation of linoleic acid (18:2, n-6) and γ-linolenic (18:3, n-6) causing increased arachidonic acid (20:4, n-6) and DPA (22:5, n-6).…”

Effect of Supplementation Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) as a Source of Alpha-Linolenic Acid on Production Performance and Physical Quality of Egg of Laying Hens

“…This strategy rests on the ability of laying hens to convert ALA to DHA. Some researchers reported that the n-3 fatty acid level of eggs increased by adding plant sources of n-3 PUFA (ALA), such as flax seed (Hayat et al, 2009), hemp seed (Gakhar et al, 2012) or chia seed (Ayerza, 2009). For example, the inclusion of 10% flaxseed (~33% ALA) in the diets of laying hens resulted in a higher accumulation of n-3 fatty acids than a control diet (Bean and Leeson, 2003).…”