Effect of dietary conjugated linoleic acid on lipid characteristics of egg yolk

A total of 250 laying hens were fed a diet containing 0, 1, 2.5 or 5% conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and 5% Safflower seed oil (SSO) for 5 weeks, and eggs were collected by week to analyse lipid characteristics of egg yolk. Egg yolk from CLA-fed groups showed significant increase in CLA content with increased CLA in the diet. Dietary CLA also increased the ratio of saturated fatty acids and decreased unsaturated fatty acids in the egg yolk. The proportion of myristic, palmitic, stearic and CLA were increased, while those of oleic, linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acid were decreased. The cholesterol content in egg yolk was significantly decreased by dietary CLA for 5 weeks feeding. After 7 days of feeding, 5% CLA-fed group showed the lowest cholesterol content in egg yolk. CLA-fed groups showed significantly lower 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) values compared to control and SSO-fed group after 14 days of storage. No significant differences in TBARS values among CLA-fed groups were observed at the 28 days of storage. Results suggested that lipid oxidation of egg yolk during cold storage could be inhibited by dietary CLA due not only to changes in fatty acid composition but also to the high concentration of CLA in egg yolk.