Effect of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seed meal on total cholesterol and fatty acids of laying hen eggs

Resumen

In order to evaluate the effect of four levels of inclusion (0, 3.3, 6.6 and 10 %) of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seed meal on total cholesterol and fatty acids in laying hen eggs, one hundred and sixty White Leghorn (L-33 Hybrid) hens were allocated at the laying peak for 91 d, according to completely randomized design. One-way analysis of variance was applied, except for the ether extract concentration, using
the factorial analysis with four treatments and 20 repetitions. The ether extract concentration in the egg was increased by effect of the laying weeks and the levels of inclusion of pumpkin seed meal (31.90 to 36.15 %). This oilseed enriched the egg with the fatty acids octadecanoic (152 to 450 mg/100 g), oleic (1282 to 1918 mg/100 g), linoleic (22 to 667 mg/100 g), and ?-linolenic (457 to 649 mg/100 g); whereas it
reduced the amount of arachidonic acid (62 to 50 mg/100 g). There was lower ratio of saturated/polyunsaturated fatty acids (0.18 to 0.13) and omega 6/omega 3 (7.65 a 6.47). Also, the inclusion of this feed diminished the total cholesterol in 28, at 30 mg/egg, in respect to the control. Including up to 10 % of pumpkin seed meal in the laying hen diets is recommended to increase the content of ether extract and the beneficial fatty acids and reduce the total cholesterol and the harmful fatty acids in the eggs.
Key words: fatty acids, cholesterol, eggs, seeds, pumpkin.