• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.667-674
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• 2008

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of germinated and fermented unmarketable soybean (GFS) on laying performance and egg quality in laying hens. A total of two hundred laying hens were divided into 5 groups (5 treatment $\times$ 4 replication $\times$ 10 birds each) and fed with the experimental diets for 8 wk as follows: control, GFS free; T1, GFS 0.15%; T2, GFS 0.3%; T3, GFS 1%; T4, GFS 2%. The laying performance, egg quality, blood profiles, cecal microbial population, isoflavone content in egg yolk were investigated. There were no significant differences laying performance, relative liver and spleen weights, egg yolk color, eggshell color among groups. Eggshell strength in groups fed with diets containing GFS increased, but not significantly. Eggshell thickness significantly increased in the GFS-supplemented group. No significant differences were observed in the blood profiles and intestinal microflora after supplementation. The decrease of Haugh unit during storage was alleviated by feeding of GFS (p<0.05). The concentrations of malondialdehyde in groups fed with GFS were decreased as compared with control (p<0.05). Isoflavones in the egg yolk were detected in group fed with diet containing 2% GFS. These results showed that unmarketable GFS could be used as a favorable feed additive and feedstuff for production of quality enhanced and isoflavone fortified eggs.