The current study investigated the effect of heat processing or carbohydrase enzyme addition
on egg production, egg quality, egg fatty acid composition, tocopherol content, and lipid
oxidation products in eggs from layer hens fed flaxseed. A total of ninety-six 23-wk-old white
leghorn laying hens were kept in individual cages and were randomly allocated to 4 treatment
groups, with 6 replicates containing 4 hens per each replicate. The hens were fed corn soybean
meal-based diet containing 15 g/100 g raw flaxseed (Flax), 15 g/100 g heated (60◦C for
8 h) flaxseed (HFlax), Flax+0.1% enzyme (Flax+E), and HFlax+0.1% enzyme (HFlax+E). Albumen weight as percentage of egg weight was lower in Flax when compared to HFlax, Flax+E, or HFlax+E (P 0.05). Hens fed HFlax had lower concentration of linoleic acid (mg/egg) than Flax+E and HFlax+E(P < 0.05). Eggs from hens fed HFlax+E had lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances than Flax+E (P < 0.05) and was not different from Flax or HFlax (P > 0.05). Enzyme supplementation and heating of flaxseed increased γ -tocopherol content in Flax+E and HFlax+E eggs (P < 0.05). It is concluded that heating flaxseed prior to consumption increases egg production while reducing oleic acid and linoleic acid (mg/egg). Heating flaxseed or enzyme supplementation had no effect on egg weight, α-linolenic acid, total n-3 fatty acids, total lipid, or total tocopherol content of eggs.
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