TABLE 1.
Yolk fatty acid analyses for eggs from broiler breeder hens fed either a control- or flaxseed-enriched diet during the rearing or laying period. Data are shown as % of total fatty acids. Significant pairwise comparisons (p < 0.05) between eggs laid by hens fed different rearing and laying diets are indicated with differing superscript letters.
| Rearing diet Fatty acid↓/laying diet |
Control Control |
Flaxseed Control |
Control Flaxseed |
Flaxseed Flaxseed |
Rearing | ANOVA Laying |
Rearing*laying |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) | 1.14 ± 0.12a | 1.32 ± 0.13a | 2.20 ± 0.15b | 3.07 ± 0.05c | F = 13.18, p = 0.007 | F = 94.40, p<0.001 | F = 5.69, p<0.001 |
| Eicosatrienoic acid (C20:3 n-3) | 0.08 ± 0.05 | 0.02 ± 0.00 | 0.08 ± 0.04 | 0.06 ± 0.01 | F = 1.16, p = 0.31 | F = 0.31, p = 0.59 | F = 0.31, p = 0.59 |
| Eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 n-3) | 0.01 ± 0.004 | 0.03 ± 0.007 | 0.05 ± 0.003 | 0.08 ± 0.016 | F = 9.33, p = 0.02 | F = 32.19, p<0.001 | F = 0.19, p = 0.67 |
| Docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5 n-3) | 0.18 ± 0.005 | 0.22 ± 0.019 | 0.32 ± 0.025 | 0.45 ± 0.077 | F = 2.74, p = 0.14 | F = 13.00, p = 0.007 | F = 0.77, p = 0.41 |
| Docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n-3) | 0.87 ± 0.07a | 1.10 ± 0.02a | 1.46 ± 0.10b | 1.89 ± 0.03c | F = 44.96, p<0.001 | F = 203.01, p<0.001 | F = 5.31, p = 0.05 |
| Σ n-3 | 2.31 ± 0.15a | 2.69 ± 0.30a | 4.12 ± 0.24b | 5.55 ± 0.04c | F = 19.97, p = 0.002 | F = 131.00, p<0.001 | F = 6.62, p = 0.03 |
| Linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6) | 25.70 ± 0.74 | 24.90 ± 0.39 | 23.66 ± 0.20 | 24.57 ± 0.70 | F = 0.01, p = 0.93 | F = 3.08, p = 0.12 | F = 1.59, p = 0.24 |
| Gamma-linolenic acid (C18:3 n-6) | 0.55 ± 0.15 | 0.43 ± 0.07 | 0.40 ± 0.09 | 0.39 ± 0.36 | F = 0.28, p = 0.61 | F = 0.59, p = 0.46 | F = 0.18, p = 0.24 |
| Eicosadienoic acid (20:2 n-6) | 0.55 ± 0.17 | 0.40 ± 0.06 | 0.43 ± 0.14 | 0.36 ± 0.06 | F = 0.69, p = 0.43 | F = 0.39, p = 0.55 | F = 0.09, p = 0.77 |
| Eicosatrienoic acid (20:3 n-6) | 0.41 ± 0.19 | 0.22 ± 0.02 | 0.36 ± 0.13 | 0.22 ± 0.04 | F = 1.35, p = 0.28 | F = 0.03, p = 0.86 | F = 0.04, p = 0.84 |
| Arachidonic acid (20:4 n-6) | 2.87 ± 0.09 | 2.68 ± 0.09 | 2.62 ± 0.14 | 2.31 ± 0.02 | F = 6.48, p = 0.06 | F = 0.83, p = 0.03 | F = 0.26, p = 0.63 |
| Docosadienoic acid (22:2 n-6) | 0 ± 0 | 0.003 ± 0.003 | 0.04 ± 0.03 | 0 ± 0 | F = 0.83, p = 0.39 | F = 0.83, p = 0.39 | F = 1.17, p = 0.31 |
| Σ n-6 | 30.08 ± 0.81 | 28.64 ± 0.27 | 27.51 ± 0.25 | 27.86 ± 0.57 | F = 0.72, p = 0.42 | F = 6.77, p = 0.03 | F = 1.94, p = 0.20 |
| Σ n-6:Σ n-3 | 13.16 ± 0.67 | 10.78 ± 0.79 | 6.75 ± 0.40 | 5.02 ± 0.08 | F = 9.12, p = 0.02 | F = 79.81, p<0.001 | F = 0.22, p = 0.65 |
Bold values represent significant values at p ≤ 0.05.