Supplementation of laying hens’ feed with Schizochytrium powder and its effect on physical and chemical properties of eggs

Biofortification enhances dietary quality and nutritional value using traditional marine microalga species, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is an essential n-3 fatty acid for human health. Eggs are natural fortified candidates. This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary Schizochytrium powder on egg productivity, egg nutritional content, and fatty acid levels in laying hens. Hy-Line Brown laying hens (n = 150) were uniformly assigned to five groups for 52 days. The control group received no supplements, whereas the other four experimental groups were provided with varied amounts of schizochytrium powder. The experimental feed contained isonitrogenous (16.60%) and isocaloric metabolizable energy, 36.69 MJ/kg components. No significant differences were observed (p > 0.05) on different parameters such as average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, and shell thickness. Enriching eggs significantly increased α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and DHA levels (p < 0.001), while decreasing the n-6/-3 ratio in a dose-dependent manner, ensuring high quality and biological efficacy. A plateau point was maintained throughout the study period. In the first two weeks, increased DHA levels were observed in egg yolks when microalgae concentrations were elevated by 1%. The study found that powdered Schizochytrium limacinum served as a substitute for DHA in enhancing eggs with n-3 fatty acids.