Effects of supplemental selenium and α-tocopherol on hen performance and egg nutrients deposition

Abstract

Nutrition of laying hen has direct influence on egg quality. Nutrients play important roles in animals and human health by activating harmful substances (Padh, 1991). Most important functions of selenium and α-tocopherol is their role as an antioxidant. Egg production of heat stress hens was increased with antioxidants supplementation. (Canan et al., 2007). Vitamin-enriched eggs are attractive as a means of providing consumers with nutrients that may be beneficial to health. Improvements in egg nutritional value may have direct positive implications for daily nutrient intake (Nys & Sauveur, 2004). However, requirement for selenium and α-tocoperol must be met through dietary supplementation. There is dearth of information on the effects of supplemental selenium and α-tocopherol on hen performance and egg nutrients deposition. Therefore, this study was aimed at evaluating the effects of supplemental selenium and α-tocopherol on hens performance and egg nutrients deposition.