Effect of dietary Ptecticus tenebrifer powder on the fatty acid profile of egg yolk in laying hens

Abstract

The poultry industry needs alternative feeds with no adverse effects on animal performance and egg quality. Insects represent effective animal feeds. However, Ptecticus tenebrifer (PT) has rarely been studied as an effective feed in terms of fatty acid contents. Therefore, we investigated the effect of dietary PT powder on the fatty acid profiles of egg yolks in laying hens. A total of 180 Hy-Line brown hens were divided equally into three groups (n = 60), with three replicates: the control group and two groups fed 2% and 4% PT powder, respectively. After 2 weeks, minor effects (P < 0.05) on oleic acid, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, and total monounsaturated fatty acids were observed among the groups. After 4 weeks, docosahexaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, myristic acid, oleic acid, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids were slightly altered in the treatment groups (P < 0.05). For other fatty acids, the 2% and 4% PT groups had fatty acid concentrations similar to those of the controls. No differences in total n-6 and total n-3 were observed among the groups. In conclusion, using 2% and 4% PT powders did not notably change the fatty acid profiles of egg yolks and could replace some layer-hen feed without negative effects.