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Enrichment of eggs with n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: Effects of vitamin E supplementation
Author(s) -
Grune Tilman,
Krämer Klaus,
Hoppe Peter P.,
Siems Werner
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/s11745-001-0792-7
Subject(s) - polyunsaturated fatty acid , lipid peroxidation , fish oil , food science , vitamin e , yolk , chemistry , docosahexaenoic acid , malondialdehyde , vitamin , lipidology , cholesterol , fatty acid , antioxidant , biology , biochemistry , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery
Eggs enriched with n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) could contribute to dietary intake of these healthful fatty acids (FA). Because n−3 PUFA are highly susceptible to peroxidation, a first part of the study with Leghorn laying hens was carried out to investigate the influence of different levels of fish oil (0, 0.7, 1.4, 2.8, or 5.6%, respectively) in the diet on n−3 PUFA, cholesterol, vitamin E, and lipid peroxidation product contents in eggs. Addition of fish oil to a complete diet based on wheat, rye, tapioca, and soybean constituents containing 11 IU vitamin E/kg resulted in increased n−3 PUFA content in egg yolk, mainly due to accumulation of docosahexaenoic acid. Cholesterol was not altered up to 2.8% fish oil in the diet. The vitamin E content of the yolk was insufficient for the protection of PUFA from peroxidation. Addition of up to 2.8% fish oil to laying hen diets increased the n−3 PUFA content of yolks with a concomitant imbalance between vitamin E and PUFA, leading to increased levels of cytotoxic aldehydic lipid peroxidation products such as malondialdehyde (MDA). In a second part of the studies, the balance between vitamin E, PUFA, and lipid peroxidation was analyzed during the period of storage of n−3 PUFA‐enriched eggs produced after feeding the laying hens with 1.5% fish oil diets with different concentrations of vitamin E (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160 IU/kg). Storage of eggs resulted in a marked loss of vitamin E in yolk. In stored eggs, the cytotoxic lipid peroxidation products MDA, 4‐hydroxynonenal, and 4‐hydroxyhexenal were reduced in response to vitamin E supplementation. To prevent the increase of cytotoxic aldehydic lipid peroxidation during production and storage of n−3 PUFA‐enriched eggs, a high vitamin E supplementation with at least 80 IU vitamin E/kg is needed.