• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.73-78
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• 2004

The effect of supplemental yellow ${\beta}$-8-Apo-carotenoic acid ethyl ester (ACA) (0~300mg/kg feed) on its accumulation in each body part of laying hens and the pigmentation in egg yolk was determined. The chickens used in this study were 78-wk-old ISA brown laying hens. ACA significantly affected the color of the bodies of laying hens. The yellowness ($b^*$) but not the redness ($a^*$) and, the lightness ($L^*$) of the skin, and muscle as measured by a colorimeter significantly (P < 0.05) increased when ACA was fed at 50~100 mg/kg feed. Egg yolk color was also significantly affected by feeding ACA longer than 2 days (P < 0.05) at the levels higher than 50 mg/kg feed. Conclusively, ACA is recommended for improving yellowness of skin.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.799-805
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• 2010

Since the consumption of spent laying hens as roasted skewered meat increases, the effects of various carotenoids on pigmentation and antioxidant activity were tested with 62-wk-old 250 ISA brown laying hens to improve the quality of chicken meat. In a 6-wk feeding trial, 4 carotenoids with different polarity (${\beta}$-8-apo-carotenoic acid ethyl ester (ACAEE)>astaxanthin>canthaxanthin>${\beta}$-carotene) at 100 mg carotenoid/kg feed were used. The more polar the carotenoids, the higher were the levels in blood. After 5-wk adaptation, the concentrations of astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, and ACAEE in blood were -4 ${\mu}g/ml$. Canthaxanthin decreased significantly (p<0.05) the level of total blood cholesterol. Decreases in blood triglyceride by all carotenoids used were significant. ACAEE and astaxanthin tended to increase skin yellowness of thigh, breast, and wing proportionally to feeding period. In the case of polar carotenoids (ACAEE and astaxanthin), the longer the period of feeding, the higher the accumulation in skin was observed. Only astaxanthin was effective against the production of lipid peroxides in skin. Conclusively, out of the commercially available carotenoids we tested, astaxanthin is recommended for pigmentation of skin and inhibition of lipid oxidation.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.9-27
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• 2003

This study was performed to measure the effect of carotenoid polarity on absorption and Pigmentation in blood, muscle, and skin of laying hens. Carotenoids used in this study and Polarity were ${\beta}$-8-Apo-carotenoic acid ethyl ester(ACAEE) ＞ astaxanthin ＞ canthaxanthin ＞ ${\beta}$-carotene. The chickens used in this study were 61∼78 weeks old ISA brown laying hens. Experiment #1 was designed to measure the effect of carotenoid level on the accumulation of carotenoids in carcass of laying hens after feeding for 6 weeks. D-carotene was accumulated in skin only at a detectable level when it was fed at 300 mg/kg feed. The skin was pigmented as yellow when it was measured by colorimeter. The concentration of ${\beta}$-carotene in blood was proportional to that in the feed. Pigmentation of muscle by 9-carotene was not effective. Canthaxanthin significantly increased redness of the skin(p＜0.05). However, canthaxanthin did not pigment muscle. The level of canthaxanthin in the blood and skin increased as the concentration in feed increased. ACAEE at 200 and 300 mg/kg feed significantly increased yellowness of the skin(p＜0.05). At all levels of ACAEE used($\geq$50 mg/kg feed) the b values of colorimeter increased. With increases in the contents of ACAEE, the concentration of ACAEE in the blood and skin increased. Compared to ${\beta}$-carotene, ACAEE and canthaxanthin were absorbed 9- and 3-fold more into the blood, respectively. The concentration of ACAEE and canthaxanthin in the skin was 1/10 of those in the blood. The lower were the concentrations of carotenoids in the feed, the higher were the absorption rates(from feed to blood and from blood to skin) The results indicated that the higher was the polarity of carotenoids, the more effective were the absorption and pigmentation. In experiment #2, the effect of carotenoid levels of feed on the accumulation of carotenoids in each body part of laying hens was determined. The colorimeter values for redness and yellowness significantly increased when canthaxanthin was fed at $\geq$50 mg/kg feed(p＜0.05). Breast and thigh were not affected by feeding of canthaxanthin at the levels used. The L values of muscle but not the a and b values were significantly affected by feeding at $\geq$200 mg/kg feed for wings and breasts, respectively. The yellowness of skin and muscle significantly increased when ACAEE was fed at $\geq$ 100 and $\geq$ 200 mg/kg feed, respectively(p＜0.05).