Review article

Enrichment of eggs with PUFA n-3

Zoran Škrtić
Gordana Kralik
Zlata Gajčević

Abstract

Eggs are an excellent resource of easily digestible protein in human nutrition. However, high cholesterol content in egg yolk and increased concerns for human health resulted in reduced consumption of eggs in developed countries. It is expected the consumption of eggs will increase in near future by creation of so called «nutraceutics» or «functional food». By exploitation of a «bioreactor», eggs can be designed that differ significantly in their composition from commercial eggs.
Enrichment of eggs with PUFA n-3 is achieved by feeding hens with forages of plant and animal origin. Supplementation of rapeseed and linseed products to diets for hens affects significant increase of α-linolenic acid (LNA, C18:3n-3). Laying hens have limited ability to elongate and desaturate LNA in eicosapentaenoic (EPA, C20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic (DHA, C22:6n-3) acid. Forages containing sea organisms (algae, fish) affect the increase of desirable EPA and DHA content in egg yolks. Referring to organoleptic traits, eggs enriched with PUFA n-3 do not differ from eggs produced in a conventional way, though, some researches have proved that enriched eggs have an unpleasant odor of fish oil.

Keywords

laying hens; eggs; PUFA n-3; PUFA n-6; EPA and DHA

Hrčak ID:

4497

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/4497

Publication date:

1.6.2006.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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