Influence of sumac and ginger on egg yolk fatty acid, cholesterol in hens

What is it about?

The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential effect of different levels of sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) seed powder and ginger (Zingiber officinale) root powder on egg yolk fatty acid composition, blood/yolk cholesterol in laying hen. A total of 63 (ATAK-S: Domestic Turkish Laying Hens) laying hens (average weight: 1470 g each hen, 25- weeks of age) were assigned to seven treatment diets including sumac seed (S) and ginger root powder (G) at 0 g/kg (control), 10 g/kg (S1), 20 g/kg (S2), and 30 g/kg (S3); 10 g/kg (G1), 20 g/kg (G2), or 30 g/kg in rations respectively, for 8 weeks. After a two-week adaptation period to cages, the hens were allocated to 7 groups with 9 replicates of 1 hen in per cage each. The replications were allotted equally into the upper and lower cages to minimize the effects of cage level. In this study, egg yolk cholesterol had a decrease (p <0.05) in supplemented diet( sumac seed and ginger root powder). Fatty acid content in yolk; saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and rate of n6/n3 were not significant (p <0.05). However, dietary supplementation with sumac and ginger powder reduced and yolk/blood cholesterol concentrations in laying hens. Supplementation of sumac and ginger affected on HDL, there was found a significant effect (p < 0.05) in treatment groups. Moreover, LDL positively decreased in all treatment groups compared with the control group. The findings of this study suggested that feeding sumac and ginger tend to be decreasing cholesterol levels in both yolk and blood on laying hens. It can be concluded that ginger root and sumac seed powder can be used as an effective feed additive to improve fatty acid composition and yolk and blood cholesterol in ATAK-S laying hens.

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Why is it important?

This study may suggest that inclusion of ginger root and sumac seed powder in the laying hens’ diet increased the SFA C16:0 and C18:0 into C16:1 (n-7) and C18:1 (n-9) respectively. Besides, sumac and ginger powder, in this study, significantly increased HDL and significantly decreased LDL and cholesterol levels in the blood of hens. The results indicate that the supplementation of laying hen diets with sumac seed and ginger powder, in the amount of 20 g/kg sumac and 10 g/kg ginger, is more advisable than the control diet and other treatment groups in terms of yolk cholesterol content. Sumac seed and ginger powder may be an alternative feed additive for poultry to be used in poultry feed

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