Enhancement of egg yolk color by paprika combined with a probiotic

Abstract

Enhancing egg yolk color by feeding laying hens paprika extract (Color-Up, Kohkin Chemical Co. Ltd., Higashiosaka, Japan; 5 g of xanthophylls/kg) and potentially accelerating the process by concurrent feeding of a probiotic (Balantol powder, Kohkin Chemical Co. Ltd.; 107 of lactic acid bacterium Enterococcus faecium BIO-4R/g) was examined. A total of 144 twenty-five-week-old laying hens were randomly assigned to 3 groups: a basal diet group (17.5% CP, 2,750 kcal of ME/kg; control), the basal diet plus 0.1% dietary paprika group, and the basal diet plus 0.1% dietary paprika plus 0.1% probiotic group. Each group consisted of 4 replicates with 12 birds. Hen egg production was recorded daily from 25 to 34 wk of age. Twelve eggs per diet group were evaluated weekly for egg quality. No differences were found in any parameter measured except for egg yolk color. Egg yolk color scores were greater in the paprika group (11.69) than in the control group (9.71; P < 0.05). The egg yolk color scores of the paprika plus probiotic group (12.00) were not significantly different from those of the paprika group. We concluded that paprika extract improved egg yolk color, whereas the probiotic combined with paprika extract did not affect egg yolk color at a level of 107 cfu/g.