Abstract #T250

# T250
Chemical composition, physical parameters and cholesterol status of fertile and unfertile eggs from chicken and quail birds.
Patience Olusola Fakolade*1, 1Osun State University, Ejigbo, Osun State, Nigeria.

A study to compare the chemical composition, physical parameters and cholesterol status of fertile and unfertile eggs from chicken and quail bird was evaluated. One hundred twenty Harco black and 120 Japanese quail birds were used for the study. Birds were fed with compounded feeds and divided into 2 groups, group A had 60 birds each from chicken and quail to produce unfertile eggs while group B had 55 hen and 5 cocks each from chicken and quail, to produce fertile eggs. All the birds were subjected to appropriate vaccination and medication procedures. Both eggs (fertile and unfertile) were evaluated for their variations in chemical composition, physical status and cholesterol levels in a 3 × 3 factorial design. Results for chemical composition, showed that, unfertile chicken eggs had highest significant values (P < 0.05) of (Ca, P, Na, Zn, Fe and K), than for fertile chicken eggs, unfertile quail eggs, and fertile quail eggs. The fertile quail eggs had significant higher value for (Na, Zn and Fe) but lower value for (Ca, P, and K) than the unfertile eggs. In this study, the physical characteristics measured followed the same trend as that of the chemical composition except for the shell weight and yolk color. Quail eggs for both fertile and unfertile eggs had lowest significant value (P < 0.05) for cholesterol (10 mg/100 g and 36.49 mg/100 g) and viscosity level (16.20 mL/s and 28.90 mL/s), than for chicken eggs with (1150 mg/100 g and 1291.20 mg/100 g) and the viscosity level had (55.60 mL/s and 69.20 mL/s). Quail eggs had lower cholesterol level than chicken eggs and as such could be incorporated into human diet to increase protein intake and reduces cholesterol accumulation in the diet, through consumption of egg.

Key Words: chicken egg, quail egg, fertile egg