The Influence of Feed Additives of Lycopene and Astaxanthin on the Microbial Intelligence of Edible Chicken Eggs During Storage

Abstract

The freshness of edible chicken eggs is their most important characteristic related to both quality and safety. The quality of eggs is determined, in particular, by the attractive appearance of the yolks and their content of biologically active substances. Such compounds include carotenoids - lycopene and astaxanthin, which can be deposited in yolks and provide their pigmentation. In the process of storage of edible eggs, various complex physical, chemical and physiological changes occur in the product and insemination and reproduction of microorganisms, which affects both safety and quality, and also leads to spoilage of edible eggs. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the addition of oil extracts of lycopene (20, 40 and 60 mg/kg of feed) and astaxanthin (10, 20 and 30 mg/kg of feed) to the diet of laying hens on insemination by mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms of the shell and yolk eggs for storage in conditions of 4±0.5 °C and relative humidity of 80-85% and 12±0.5 °C and relative humidity of 70-75% for 30 days 45 "High-Line W-36" crossbred chickens at the age of 24 weeks were used in the experiment. It was established that storage temperature regimes (4±0.5 °C and 12±0.5 °C) have different effects on the number of mesophilic aerobic and facultatively anaerobic microorganisms in edible eggs obtained from hens fed with lycopene and astaxanthin supplements in different doses. Thus, the addition of lycopene from 20 to 60 mg/kg or astaxanthin from 10 to 30 mg/kg of feed in the diet of laying hens did not affect the number of mesophilic aerobic and facultatively anaerobic microorganisms on the shells and yolks of freshly laid eggs. However, eggs stored at a temperature of 12±0.5 °C and a relative humidity of 70-75% for 30 days had higher microbial inoculation of both the shell and the yolk than eggs stored at a temperature of 4±0.5 °C and a relative humidity of 70-75%.