The effects of dietary supplementation of low-glucosinolate Camelina sativa (L) Crantz on egg yolk nutritional quality in laying hens

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz (CS) is a low-input crop belonging to the Brassicaceae family. Its seeds are rich in oil (30-40%), 90% of which is composed of unsaturated fatty acids, especially α-linolenic acid (ALA, 36-38% on lipid matter). Currently CS is an important crop for producing bio-fuel for the airline industry. After the oil extraction for the biofuel production, the CS meal contains about 40% of protein and a residual of oil content (about 15%) that can be added to feed for implementing its omega-3 fatty acid composition. Moreover, a high content of antioxidant compounds naturally present in CS can protect unsaturated fatty acids of oil and meal from degradation. Due to the presence of anti-nutritional compounds, the use of CS meal in feeding is limited. A new line of CS with reduced glucosinolate content was used to design diets (0, 10% and 20% CS meal) given to Hy-Line® brown laying hens in order to enhance the omega-3 content of egg yolk. The experiment lasted 52 weeks in order to check if the possible enhancement of egg yolk nutritional values (omega-6/omega-3 ratio, Atherogenic Index, Thrombogenic Index, Hypocholesterolemic/Hypercholesterolemic index) is maintained during the whole industrial deposition period. Results showed that increment in omega-3 fatty acids in egg yolk was consistent with the increase in CS meal in the diet (10% CS = x 2,8; 20% CS = x 4,0), and the enhancement was maintained till the end of the experiment. As a consequence, all the nutritional indexes followed the same trend. The cholesterol content was not affected by the different diet composition.