Short-Term Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) Supplementation and Laying Hen Strain Effects on Eggs’ Lipid Profile and Stability

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of short-term dietary spirulina supplementation (1% and 3%) and the strain of laying hens (White Leghorn: WL and Rhode Island Red: RIR) on color, nutritional value, and stability of yolk. Egg weight was not affected by any of the studied effects. Yolks from 3%-spirulina supplemented hens had higher retinol and lower α-tocopherol content (p = 0.0001) when compared to control. The supplementation with 1%-spirulina markedly decreased luminosity and increased redness (p = 0.0001) and yellowness (p = 0.0103). Short-term spirulina supplementation slightly modified the fatty acid composition of yolk. The C16-desaturase index increased with the algae, whereas other egg quality indices (hypocholesterolemic, thrombombogenic, n-6/n-3) were not modified. Hen strain mainly affected to the lipid profile. The RIR hens accumulated greater yolk retinol with supplementation doses of 3% (p < 0.05), while the WL hardly suffered changes in the accumulation. Also, yolks from RIR hens had lower C16:0 (p = 0.0001), C18:0 (p = 0.0001), saturated (SAT) (p = 0.0001), and thrombogenic index (p = 0.0001), C20:3n-6 (p = 0.0001), n-6/n-3 ratio (p = 0.003), Δ-6+5-desaturase (p = 0.0005), total elongase indices (p = 0.0001) when compared to WL. Moreover, RIR had higher monounsaturated (MUFA), Δ-9-desaturase and hypocholesterolemic indices (p < 0.05) than WL. A different response to spirulina supplementation was observed for C18:1n-9, MUFA, Δ-9-desaturase and thiesterase indices (p < 0.05) according to hen strain. Yolks from RIR had higher MUFA and Δ-9-desaturase indices than WL at 1%-spirulina supplementation, whereas these parameters were less affected in RIR supplemented with 3%. SAT and Δ-9-desaturase were significantly correlated (r = −0.38 and 0.47, respectively) with retinol content according to a linear adjustment (p < 0.05). Lipid oxidation of yolk was slightly modified by the dietary treatment or hen strain. It was detected a relationship between TBARS and α-tocopherol, C22:5n-3 or C22:6n-3 (p < 0.05). L* and a* were also inversely or positively related with yolk retinol content according to a linear response (p < 0.05). The administration of 1% of spirulina in diets of red hens would be an interesting alternative to get healthier eggs from the nutritional point of view, obtaining an adequate color and without modifications in other yolk quality traits.