UTILIZATION OF MORINGA LEAVES TO IMPROVE EGG PRODUCTION WITH HIGH BETA-CAROTENE CONTENT, BUT LOW CHOLESTEROL

UTILIZATION OF MORINGA LEAVES TO IMPROVE EGG PRODUCTION WITH HIGH BETA-CAROTENE CONTENT, BUT LOW CHOLESTEROL

I Gusti Nyoman Gde Bidura

Faculty of Animal Science, Udayana University,Denpasar-Bali, Indonesia

Email: gde_bidura@unud.ac.id; bidura_unud@yahoo.com

A chicken egg is very easily damaged and loses its quality during the collection period from the cage to the consumer level. In addition, the cholesterol content in eggs is high, and if consumed in excess can cause coronary heart disease. Extending the shelf life of eggs, it is very important for laying hens and other poultry researchers. Various attempts have been made to increase the content of β-carotene (yolk color) and reduce cholesterol content in eggs. Increased yolk color (β-carotene), will benefit the laying poultry industry, because it will be a high attraction for consumers and can increase the shelf life of eggs, because β-carotene can function as a powerful antioxidant to increase egg storability. Many attempts have been made to overcome vitamin A deficiency, including supplementation and fortification of vitamin A in food products, namely chicken eggs. Utilization of Moringa oleifera leaves or better known as Moringa leaves) as a natural source of provitamin A in making products rich in vitamin A, can be used as an alternative to natural fortification efforts in an effort to overcome the problem of vitamin A deficiency, and natural provitamin A compounds which are far safer to consume compared to synthetic vitamin A. Based on the results of the author's research, phytochemical compounds contained in Moringa leaves include: flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and several other phenolic compounds that have antimicrobial activity. Some researchers that extracts or compounds isolated from M. oleifera have antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypertensive properties, and the ability to protect against liver damage (Ashok et al., 2014; Chukwuebuka, 2015; Dalukdeniya et al., 2016; Elangovan et al., 2014; Godinez-Oviedo et al., 2016). These phytochemical compounds have strong antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, to use them in the treatment of diseases in livestock. Several studies in scientific journals report that the antimicrobial activity of phytochemical compounds in this plant have been investigated and may be used to develop new antimicrobial drugs, as a substitute for the use of antibiotics in Indonesia, which have been banned since January 2018. The content of beta-carotene in moringa leaves is very high, so it is very good for increasing yolk color and beta-carotene content in egg yolks. Previous research has found that the total carotene content in Moringa leaves is 24735 ug/100 g, crude protein 35%, and 2850 kcal/kg of metabolic energy. Beta-carotene supplementation is effective in increasing serum beta-carotene concentration with little effect on serum retinol concentration, reducing serum oxidative stress, and increasing the capacity of biological antioxidants (Otomaru et al., 2018).In Figure 1 presented the level of use of Moringa leaf flour in feed and drinking water in laying hens The level of use of Moringa oleifera (Kelor) leaf flour in feed and drinking water in laying hens. When Moringa leaf flour is added to the ration (5 g/100g ration) or water extract (5 cc/100cc water) in drinking water, bioactive compounds and other phytochemical compounds can improve egg quality and have a positive effect on chicken health and performance. Yolk color and beta-carotene content in egg yolks increased significantly. Conversely, the levels of fat and cholesterol in egg yolk decreased significantly. Moringa leaf flour or Moringa leaf water extract can be useful to be used as an effective feed supplement in poultry, as a substitute for antibiotic growth promotors (AGPs) to improve production performance and feed efficiency, reduce fat and cholesterol levels in yolk in laying hens.