Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-27gpq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T23:29:25.645Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of dietary L-carnitine on the performance and egg quality of laying hens from 65–73 weeks of age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Mahmoud H. Rabie
Affiliation:
Research Institute for Animal Breeding & Nutrition, Herceghalom, H-2053, Hungary
MiháLy SziláGyi
Affiliation:
Research Institute for Animal Breeding & Nutrition, Herceghalom, H-2053, Hungary
Tibor Gippert
Affiliation:
Institute for Small Animal Research, Gödöllö, Hungary
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The effects of L-carnitine supplementation (50–500 mg/kg diet) of a practical layer diet, based on maize, soyabean and wheat, on the performance of laying hens and some indices of egg quality were studied for 8 weeks, using 65-week-old hens kept in cages. Albumen quality (albumen height and Haugh (1937) unit score) was improved, while yolk index and yolk colour score were not affected by dietary L-carnitine. The percentage of egg-white increased and that of egg yolk decreased in response to dietary supplementation of L-carnitine. Dietary L-carnitine did not influence laying performance (egg production rate, mean egg weight, daily feed intake, daily egg mass and feed conversion) or external egg quality measured by egg weight, egg-shape index or by eggshell quality, either measured directly as shell breaking strength or indirectly as shell weight, shell thickness or shell weight per unit surface area. Based on the results of the present study, L-carnitine had a beneficial effect on albumen quality and could modify the components of the edible part of the egg, during the late laying period.

Type
Animal Nutrition
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1997

References

REFERENCES

Amer, M. F. (1972) Egg quality of Rhode Island Red, Fayoumi and Dandarawi. Poultry Science 51, 232–238. Association of Official Analytical Chemists (1980). Official Methods of Analysis, 13th ed. Washington, DC: AOAC.Google Scholar
Austic, R. E. (1977) Role of shell gland in determination of albumen quality. Poultry Science 56, 202210.Google Scholar
Barocsai, Gy. (editor) (1990) Magyar Takarmánykódex (Hungarian Feed Codex). Budapest: Mezögazdasági Kiadó.Google Scholar
Borum, P. R. (1983) Carnitine. Annual Review of Nutrition 3, 233259.Google Scholar
Borum, P. R. (1987) Role of carnitine in lipid metabolism. In Lipids in Modern Nutrition, pp. 5158 [Horisberger, M. and Bracco, U., editors]. New York: Nestlé Nutrition, Vevey/Raven Press.Google Scholar
Bremer, J. (1983) Carnitine: metabolism and functions. Physiological Review 63, 14201480.Google Scholar
Carter, T. C. (1975) The hen's egg. Estimation of shell superficial area and egg volume using measurements of fresh egg weight and shell length and breadth alone or in combination. British Poultry Science 16, 541543.Google Scholar
Chiodi, P., Ciani, B., Kentroti, S., Maccari, F., Vernadakis, A., Angelucci, L. & Ramacci, M. T. (1994) Carnitine and derivatives in the central nervous system of chick embryo. International Journal of Biochemistry 26, 711720.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Feller, A. G. & Rudman, D. (1988) Role of carnitine in human nutrition. Journal of Nutrition 118, 541547.Google Scholar
Griffin, H. D., Perry, M. M. & Gilbert, A. B. (1984) Yolk formation. In Physiology and Biochemistry of the Domestic Fowl, pp. 345380 [Freeman, B. M., editor]. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Haugh, R. R. (1937 a) The Haugh unit for measuring egg quality. United States Egg Poultry Magazine 43, 552555.Google Scholar
Haugh, R. R. (1937 b) The Haugh unit for measuring egg quality. United States Egg Poultry Magazine 43, 572573.Google Scholar
Hurwitz, S. (1987) Effect of nutrition on egg quality. In Egg Quality – Current Problems and Recent Advances. Poultry Science Symposium no. 20, pp. 235254. [Wells, R. G., Belyavin, C. G., editors]. London: Butterworths Ltd.Google Scholar
Keshavarz, K. & Nakajima, S. (1995) The effect of dietary manipulations of energy, protein, and fat during the growing and laying periods on early egg weight and egg components. Poultry Science 74, 5061.Google Scholar
Larbier, M. & Leclercq, B. (1994) The egg, and feeding of the laying hen. In Nutrition and Feeding of Poultry, pp. 169197 [Wiseman, J., editor]. Nottingham: Nottingham University Press.Google Scholar
Leibetseder, J. (1995) Studies on the effects of L-carnitine in poultry. Archives of Animal Nutrition 48, 97108.Google Scholar
Lettner, V. F., Zollitsch, W. & Halbmayer, E. (1992) Use of L-carnitine in the broiler ration. Bodenkultur 43, 161167.Google Scholar
Mitchell, M. E. (1978) Carnitine in human subjects. I. Normal metabolism. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 31, 293306.Google Scholar
Moreng, R E. & Avens, J. S. (1985) Food eggs and egg products. In Poultry Science and Production, 1st ed, pp. 257284. [Karlin, N. M., editor]. Reston, Virginia: Reston Publishing Company, Inc.Google Scholar
Moore, S., Spackman, D. H. & Stein, W. H. (1958) Chromatography of amino acids on sulfonated polystyrene resins. Analytical Chemistry 30, 11851190.Google Scholar
National Research Council (1984) Nutrient Requirements of Poultry, 8th revised ed. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.Google Scholar
Rebouche, C. J. & Paulson, D. J. (1986) Carnitine metabolism and function in humans. Annual Review of Nutrition 6, 4166.Google Scholar
Rinaudo, M. T., Curto, M., Bruno, R., Piccinini, M. & Marino, C. (1991) Acid soluble, short chain esterified and free carnitine in the liver, heart, muscle and brain of pre- and post-hatched chicks. International Journal of Biochemistry 23, 5965.Google Scholar
Roberts, J. R. & Brackpool, C. E. (19931994). The ultrastructure of avian egg shells. Poultry Science Review 5, 245272.Google Scholar
Robinson, D. S. (1987) The chemical basis of albumen quality. In Egg Quality – Current Problems and Recent Advances. Poultry Science Symposium no. 20, pp. 179191 [Wells, R. G., Belyavin, C. G., editors]. London: Butterworths Ltd.Google Scholar
Rockville, (1991) Statgraphics Program, Version 5.0 STSC, Software Computer.Google Scholar
Roland, D. A. Sr (1979) Factors affecting shell quality of aging hens. Poultry Science 58, 774777.Google Scholar
Rossi, M. & Pompei, C. (1995) Changes in some egg components and analytical values due to hen age. Poultry Science 74, 152160.Google Scholar
Sándor, A., Kispál, Gy., Kerner, J. & Alkonyi, I. (1983) Combined effect of ascorbic acid deficiency and underfeeding on hepatic carnitine level in guinea-pigs. Experientia 39, 512513.Google Scholar
Schuhmacher, A., Eissner, C. & Gropp, J. M. (1993) Carnitine in fish, piglets and quail. In Vitamine und weitere Zusatzstoffe bei Mensch und Tier (Vitamins and Other Supplements for Humans and Animals), pp. 407412 [Flachowsky, G. and Schubert, R., editors]. Jena, Germany: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität.Google Scholar
Szilágyi, M., Lindberg, P. & Sankari, S. (1992) Serum L-carnitine concentration in domestic animals. In Proceedings of the 5th Congress of International Society of Animal Clinical Biochemistry, pp. 389391 [Ubaldi, A., editor]. Parma, Italy: Boehringer Mannheim.Google Scholar
Tanphaichitr, V., Zaklama, M. S. & Broquist, H. P. (1976) Dietary lysine and carnitine: relation to growth and fatty liver in rats. Journal of Nutrition 106, 111117.Google Scholar
Torreele, E., van der Sluiszen, A. & Verreth, J. (1993) The effect of dietary L-carnitine on the growth performance in fingerlings of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in relation to dietary lipid. British Journal of Nutrition 69, 289299.Google Scholar
Weeden, T. L., Nelssen, J. L., Hansen, J. A., Fitzner, G. E. & Goodband, R. D. (1991) The effect of L-carnitine on starter pig performance and carcass composition. Journal of Animal Science 69, Suppl. 105 Abstr.Google Scholar
Williams, K. C. (1992) Some factors affecting albumen quality with particular reference to Haugh unit score. World's Poultry Science Journal 48, 516.Google Scholar