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Quality, fatty acid profile and lipid indices of hen eggs on the Croatian market

Sven Horvat ; Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Fakultet agrobiotehničkih znanosti Osijek, Osijek, Hrvatska
Zoran Škrtić ; Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Fakultet agrobiotehničkih znanosti Osijek, Osijek, Hrvatska
Zlata Kralik ; Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Fakultet agrobiotehničkih znanosti Osijek, Osijek, Hrvatska *

* Dopisni autor.

Sažetak

Chicken eggs are highly nutritious. The edible portion of the egg, consisting of the albumen and yolk, contains essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and trace elements, making eggs a valuable component of the human diet. This study aimed to evaluate the external and internal quality, fatty acid profile, and lipid quality indices of eggs produced in floor-rearing systems by three producers in the Republic of Croatia. Eggs were purchased from a retail store. Egg quality was assessed on 90 Class A eggs (size M), while the fatty acid profile was determined in 30 eggs (10 per group). Lipid nutritional quality indices were calculated based on the fatty acid profile. Significant differences in external egg quality traits were observed among the groups (P < 0.05). Egg weight, yolk weight, shell weight, and shape index were significantly higher in groups B and C than in group A. Among the internal quality traits, only HU and yolk colour differed significantly among the producers (P < 0.05). A more favourable fatty acid composition was found in eggs from producer B, whose yolks contained the highest proportions of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), and the lowest proportions of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFA) (P < 0.05). The most favourable values of the qualitative indices (n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA ratio, LA/ALA ratio, and EPA + DHA) and nutritional lipid indices (Nutritional Value Index, NVI, and Thrombogenic Index, TI) were also recorded in producer B compared with producers A and C (P < 0.05). Metabolic indices differed significantly among the experimental groups (P < 0.05), and their values indicated lower activity of enzymes involved in the elongation of n-3 PUFA in group B, which may be associated with a greater availability of n-3 PUFA in the laying hens' diet. The results indicate that eggs from different producers differ significantly in quality, fatty acid composition, and lipid quality indices, with eggs produced by producer B showing the most favourable nutritional characteristics for human consumption.

Ključne riječi

table eggs; floor-rearing system; egg quality; fatty acids; lipid indices

Hrčak ID:

352925

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/352925

Datum izdavanja:

2.11.2026.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski njemački španjolski talijanski

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