Participating organisations:
LABORATORY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION & ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI, DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
PHARMACELL Α.Ε.
INSTITUTE OF BIOECONOMY AND AGROTECHNOLOGY NATIONAL CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

"HepaHealthy_Egg" is a research and innovation project, implemented by the collaboration of Pharmacell with the Laboratory of Animal Production and Environmental Protection, of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Bio-economy and Agrotechnology Institute of the National Center of Research and Technological Development. HepaHealthy_Egg has been funded on a competitive selection basis, by National and European sources.

Scope

HepaHealthy_Egg aimed at utilizing Extract of Milk thistle or Mary’s thistle (Silybum marianum) as a model substance for the development of feed supplements with nutraceutical properties, improving welfare and aiding in added value egg production while contributing in sustainable layer hen breeding.

Why Milk thistle extract? Extract of Milk Thistle (MTE) is a natural source of Silymarin, a well-known hepato-protectant, administered to humans experiencing long term liver deficiencies.

Why laying hens? Liver health is of paramount importance for laying hens, since liver function is subject to special factors such as: Poultry lymphatic system is rudimentary, turning liver to be the first tissue to be exposed to dietary lipids, lipid metabolism in poultry mostly takes place in liver than in fatty tissue, a massive amount of lipids such as egg yolk phospholipids is synthetized in liver, hepatic lipogenesis is dramatically enhanced in hens by naturally secreted estrogens in order to meet the demand for vitellogenesis. For those reasons, the layer hen liver is a highly stressed organ, frequently subject to Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome (FLHS), leading to liver rupture and death of egg-layer hens...

The trials

Test trials were implemented in four groups of laying hens, according to the amount of MTE (1 to 5 ppm) administered in Choline – deficient feed. Productivity, clinical appearance, quality parameters of the eggs, including antioxidant potential, were evaluated during the tests. Internal organs, especially the liver of the hens, were subjected to macroscopic and microscopic pathological examination.

Results

Administration of MTE was related to overall improved quality of eggs, as evaluated by the yolk color, higher amount of unsaturated fatty acids in egg yolk and still resistance to oxidation in egg yolk.

The pathological appearance of liver was improved, especially at the late stage of egg production.