Dietary crude palm oil supplementation improves egg quality and modulates tissue and yolk vitamin E concentrations of laying hen

Crude palm oil (CPO) is a valuable energy supplement for poultry diets and a rich source of vitamin A and E. Data on the effect of vitamin E tocotrienol in CPO on laying hen metabolism are limited. The present study examined the effects of dietary CPO supplementation on the performance and tissue distribution of vitamin E in laying hens and on egg quality. In total, 144 49-week old Hysex Brown hens were allocated randomly into four groups (36 per group), in single cages, and received corn–soybean basal diet supplemented with either lard at 20 g/kg (control), or CPO at 20 (CPO1), 30 (CPO2) or 40 g/kg (CPO3). Egg quality, hen performance, egg yolk cholesterol and hen tissue concentrations of vitamin E were examined. Dietary supplementation with CPO increased the egg yolk colour, egg and yolk weight compared with the control group, but not specific gravity, albumen quality, albumen weight and shell weight. Importantly, CPO supplementation significantly decreased egg yolk cholesterol concentrations (lowest level in the CPO3 group) and enhanced (P < 0.05) the total vitamin E tocopherols in CPO1 and total tocotrienols in CPO2 and CPO3. Hens fed on CPO3 had the lowest total tocopherol concentrations in their egg yolk and adipose tissue, but the highest tocotrienol in their plasma, egg yolk and adipose tissue. In addition, dietary CPO supplementation resulted in the highest deposition of tocotrienol in the hen’s adipose tissue compared with in the egg yolk, or hen’s liver and plasma. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with CPO improved the egg yolk weight and yolk colour, while it reduced the total cholesterol concentration and resulted in more vitamin E in the egg and hen’s adipose tissue, with increased concentrations of α-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol and γ-tocotrienol.