The Beneficial Dietary Effect of Dried Olive Pulp on Some Nutritional Characteristics of Eggs Produced by Mid- and Late-Laying Hens

This research evaluated the impact of incorporating dried olive pulp (OP) into the feed of laying hens on the fatty acid profile, cholesterol, triglyceride, total phenolic, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol content, and health lipid indices of eggs produced by mid- (39 weeks) and late-laying (59 weeks) birds. Over a 36-week trial, 300 eggs from 180 Isa-Brown hens, assigned to three dietary groups with different OP levels (CON, OP4 and OP6), were analyzed. OP reduced egg cholesterol, with significant effects in late-age eggs (<i>p</i> < 0.05). In mid-age hens, the OP6 eggs had higher total phenolics than the controls (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and more PUFAs than the other groups (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The concentration of total phenolics, cholesterol, n3 PUFAs and % fat increased with hen age (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while triglycerides and oleuropein decreased (<i>p</i> < 0.05). With increasing hen age, the SFAs in the OP eggs decreased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and the MUFAs increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Eggs from older hens had higher nutritional value, as indicated by the lower n6/n3 PUFA ratio, lower AI and TI indices, and higher h/H ratio (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Overall, dietary OP supplementation improved the nutritional quality of eggs, suggesting potential health benefits. Our results also highlighted eggs from older hens as a valuable source of high-quality fats.