Effects of Fermented Garlic Powder on Production Performance, Egg Quality, Blood Profiles and Fatty Acids Composition of Egg Yolk in Laying Hens (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION It has long been considered that garlic (Allium sativum) has several beneficial effects for both humans and animals having antimicrobial, antioxidant, as well as antihypertensive properties (Konjufca et al., 1997; Sivam, 2001). Previous research suggested that these functions were mainly attributed to the bioactive components of garlic, including sulphur-containing compounds, such as alliin, diallylsulphides and allicin (Amagase et al., 2001). Therefore, the different garlic preparations used in various studies might be one of the reasons for the inconsistent results. Sharma et al. (1979) observed that egg yolk cholesterol was decreased by 1% or 3% garlic powder supplementation to diets of laying hens for 3 weeks. Sklan et al. (1992) reported that hepatic cholesterol concentrations in chickens were reduced when 2% garlic was fed. The activity of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase was decreased by 50-69% in 12-week-old broilers and by 72-83% in 12-week-old Leghorn pullets with concomitant decreases in serum cholesterol of 7-25 and 2025%, respectively, by the feeding of diets containing garlic paste at 3.8% or solvent fractions of garlic oil equivalent to 3.8% garlic paste (Qureshi et al., 1983). Chowdhury et al. (2002) observed there were no effects on egg production but significantly decreased serum cholesterol by the addition of garlic. However, Birrenkott et al. (2000) reported that there were no significant effects on yolk and serum cholesterol concentrations by 3% garlic powder supplementation when laying hens were fed diets for 8 months. Egg production, egg weight, feed efficiency, total plasma lipids, plasma cholesterol and yolk cholesterol were not affected during or at the end of 8 weeks of feeding garlic oil to layers (Reddy et al., 1991). In addition, there were few data about the effects of garlic on egg quality and fatty acid composition in egg yolk.