EggMeat Symposia 2013
Bergamo 15-19 September 2013
Influence of the enzyme and organic form selenium
feed additives on some morphological indices of eggs
of the laying quails
V. SEMAŠKA1*, D. VENCIUS1, R. ČEPULIENĖ1, V. SIRVYDIS1, L. VAŠKEVIČIŪTĖ2,
D. AGAFONOF3
1
Department of Biology, Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences, Studentų 39, 08106
Vilnius, Lithuania;
2
Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Veterinary
Academy, Tilžės 18, 47181 Kaunas, Lithuania;
3
Vilniaus paukštynas LTD, 13031 Rudamina, Lithuania
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
The objective of this study was to assess an impact of organic selenium (Se) feed additive and
enzyme additive “Vilzim” on some morphological indices of eggs of laying quails. 240 female
quails were divided into 4 groups, 60 birds each. Group 1 was the control group. Feed for the
trial group 2 was supplemented with the enzyme additive “Vilzim” (20 mg/kg). Feed for the trial
group 3 was supplemented with 150 mg/kg of feed additive and for the group 4 with both 150
mg/kg of feed additive and with 20 mg/kg of “Vilzim”.
Results indicate that these additives had an influence on morphological indices of eggs of the 19
weeks old quails. In group 2 egg weight had increased by 1.01% (p<0.05), in group 3 by 0.7%
and in group 4 by 3.7% (p<0.05) in comparison with control. In trial groups the weight of egg
shell had increased in comparison with the control. Egg shell thickness was the highest in the
trial group 2 and was 4.7% (p<0.05) higher than in the control group. Haugh units of eggs of the
trial group 4 were 2.72% (p<0.05) higher than in the control group. Selenium content in the egg
yolk in trial groups 3 and 4 was increased in comparison with the control group. Total number
of eggs produced by the quails of the trial groups 2 and 4 was bigger than the egg number of the
control group. Intensity of lay in the trial group 4 was 9.18% higher than in the control group.
Keywords: quail eggs; morphological indices; feed additives
Introducion
Recently a lot of researches are conducted in order to measure the importance of nutrients for both
animals and human beings. Micronutrient selenium (Se) has numerous positive features. Selenium is
involved in immunomodulatory processes, inhibits chemical carcinogens and is involved in
detoxication, slowing down the ageing and promoting reproduction processes, protects the body from
mercury, chromium, cadmium poisoning (McDowell, 1992; Rayman, 2000; Surai, 2000; Zabulyte et
al., 2009). Research has shown the advantage of organic selenium in comparison with non-organic
form. N.Sahin with colleagues (Sahin et al., 2008) had shown that comparing organing to non-organic
selenium sources in quail feed was increasing the quail weight, intensity of egg laying, as well as
improving qualitative indices; this happened under influence of selenomethionine. Organic selenium
added to feed increased the amount of selenium in muscles (Pavlata et al., 2001). Research showed
that chicken meat can be enriched with selenium and thus functional food can be obtained (Grashorn,
2007; Bennett and Cheng, 2010).
Nutrients, including micronutrients, are differently assimilated in bird‘s organism and the quality of
feed plays a major part in this process. Non-starch polysacharides, found in grain, such as
World’s Poultry Science Journal, Volume 69, Supplement
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hemicellulose, pentocans, cellulose condition the absorbtion but they as well inhibit digestive activity.
High viscosity appears and enzymatic activity decreases; these processes disturb the absorbtion of
nutrients (Almirall et al., 1995).
In order to avoid poor nutrient absorbtion and to improve the absorbtion of various nutricious
components of feed the exogenous enzyme supplements are widely used. Exoenzyms create the right
conditions for endoenzymes to act properly (Büler et al., 1998).
However there is still not enough data in assesing the impact of enzymes on the micronutrient
absorbtion, thus our goal was to determine the impact of enzym additive Vilzim and organic selenium
on morphological indicators of eggs and amount of selenium in egg yolks of quails.
Materials and methods
240 female quails were divided into 4 groups, 60 birds each. Group 1 was the control group. Feed
for the trial group 2 was supplemented with the enzyme additive “Vilzim” (20 mg/kg). Feed for the
trial group 3 was supplemented with 150 mg/kg of Se feed additive and for the group 4 with both 150
mg/kg of Se feed additive and with 20 mg/kg of “Vilzim”."Vilzim” - universal multi-enzyme
composition consisting of a variety of enzymes that destroy all non - starch poly- and disaccharides,
the feed ingredients. The product consists of three main activities of: cellulase (endo-1, 4-βglucanases), xylanase (endo-1, 4-β-xylanase) and β-glucanase (Endo-1, 3 - (4) β-glucanases),
(www.baltijosenzimai.lt). Se feed additive is the source of bioavailable selenium, an inactive yeast
which contains 2000 ppm of selenium in an organic form (www.baltijosenzimai.lt). Egg studies were
conducted using the automatic multi-parameter analyzer egg 'Egg Multi Tester EMT-5200. Selenium
accumulation in quail eggs was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (Díaz-Alarcón et al.,
1996). Data were analyzed with the ANOVA test, significant differences between groups were
determined by Duncan's multiple range test. Differences were considered significant at p<0.05.
Results and discussion
Eggs are good source of vitamins (A, E, D, K, B2, B6, B12, folate) and minerals (iodine, iron,
selenium, zinc) (Jeroch et al., 2002; Stanbury, 1996). During the experiment all the trial quail groups
compared to the control group showed increase in egg weight, shell thickness and body weight, Haugh
units, amount of selenium in egg yolk (p<0.05). These indices are presented in the Tables 1 and 2
below. Quail eggs have much higher nutritional value than hen eggs. (Gružauskas et al., 2010). In
Table 1 there is data showing the increase of egg weight in each experimental group. The usage of
enzyme supplements increases the activity of digestive tract and consequently improving digestion of
nutrients and resorption (Shakouri et al., 2008). Enzymatic supplements are even more effective in a
multienzymic composition forms. These compositions show a complex enzymic activitity. (Krastina,
2003). In group 2 (Table 1), fed additively with Vilzim 20 mg/kg the weight of eggs increased by
1.01%, in group 3, that additionaly got Se 150 mg/kg the weight of eggs increased by 0.7%, and in
group 4, where feed was supplemented with both Vilzim 20 mg/kg and Se 150 mg/kg egg weight
increased by 3.7%, in comparison with control group (p<0.05).
Quality of eggshell is one of the most actual problems of poultry production. Significant part of egg
production is lost during transportation and warehousing because of fragile eggshell, that‘s why there
are a lot of attempts to analyze the ability of increasing eggshell strenght and resistance to
enviromental impacts. The strenght of the eggshell can be described by the relative density of eggs:
the bigger the density, the harder the eggshell.
Examination of the eggshell weight showed that of all the examined groups eggshell weight had
increased in group 2 by 1.8%, in group 3 by 0.9% and in the group 4 by 2.6% in comparison to the
control group (p<0.05).
The additives of Vilzim and Se in feed had an impact on the thickness of eggshells. The thickness
of eggshell in group 2, were feed contained Vilzim 20 mg/kg was thicker by 4.7% in group 3 with Se
150 mg/kg additive to feed thickness had increased by 2.5% and in group 4 which was fed with both
World’s Poultry Science Journal, Volume 69, Supplement
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Vilzim 20 mg/kg and Se 150 mg/kg supplemented feed, thickness of eggshell had increased by 3.6%
in comparison to the control group (p<0.05).
Table 1 Effect of “Vilzim” and Se additives on the morphological indices of eggs
Indices
I group
Control
II group
Vilzim 20 mg/kg
III group
Se feed additive
150 mg/kg
Egg weight , g
Weight of eggshell , g
Eggshell thickness , N
10,91 ± 0,12
1,14 ± 0,09
9,52 ± 0,39
11,02 ± 0,14
1,16 ± 0,11
9,97 ± 0,47
10,98 ± 0,22
1,15 ± 0,08
9,76 ± 0,32
IV group
Vilzim 20 mg/kg+
Se feed additive
150 mg/kg
11,31 ± 0,19
1,17 ± 0,15
9,86 ± 0,29
There are many attempts to solve the problem and many researches trying to find the way of
impacting the contens of various nutrients in eggs (Čepulienė et al., 2008). When the resorbtion of
nutrients increases, the amount of feed conversion may decrease as well as the prime cost of birding
production. Comparison of Haugh unit rates in group 2, additionally fed Vilzim 20 mg/kg these rates
were higher by 1.09%, in group 3 with added Se 150 mg/kg it increased by 2.11%, and in group 4,
where feed was supplemented with both Vilzim 20 mg/kg and Se 150 mg/kg these rates increased by
2.72%, in comparison with the control group (p<0.05).
Over the past few years a great amount of information had appeared proving that organic selenium
is a natural solution of many problems associated with stress in commercial cattle and poultry
production. Positive impact of organic selenium on birds and other farm animals was proven by
numerous research experiments and is rather convincing (Surai, 2003).
The amount of selenium in the egg yolk in all trial groups had increased in comparison to the
control group (Table 2). In group 2, additionally given Vilzim 20 mg/kg of selenium it had increased
by 1.44%, in group 3, given additionally 150 mg/kg, of selenium it had increased by 42.02%, in group
4, fed with both Vilzim 20 mg/kg and Se 150 mg/kg amount of selenium it had increased by 26.08%
in comparison with the control group (p<0.05).
Table 2 The effect of “Vilzim” and Se additive on the Haugh units and Se content in the egg yolk
Indices
I group
control
II group
Vilzim 20 mg/kg
III group
Se feed additive
150 mg/kg
Haugh units, %
Se content in the egg yolk, µg/kg
90,31
0,69±0,18
91,30
0,70±0,13
92,22
0,87±0,11
IV group
Vilzim 20 mg/kg+
Se feed additive
150 mg/kg
92,77
0,98±0,17
Total number of eggs produced by quails of the trial groups 2 and 4 was bigger than the egg
number of the control group. Intensity of lay in the trial group 4 was 9.18% higher than in the control
group.
Concluson
Feed supplements combination of the two components: enzymatic composition "Vilzim and
organic Se additive had provided better Se accumulation in quail egg yolk, and also had a significantly
higher effect on the egg weight and on the egg shell strength than each of these agents used alone.
Also the intensity of lay in the trial group fed with both additives was higher than in the control group.
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