α-Tocopherol transfer efficiency and lipid oxidation in fresh and spray-dried eggs enriched with ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acids

We evaluated the effect of supplementing a basal diet containing 5% linseed oil with 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of α-tocopheryl acetate (α-TA) on α-tocopherol content, fatty acid composition, and lipid oxidation in fresh and spray-dried eggs during storage. α-Tocopherol transfer efficiency from feed to egg was also studied. The α-tocopherol content of fresh egg increased in a dose-dependent manner (16.6, 49.8, 78.9, and 132.3 μg/g of egg for 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg α-TA supplementation, respectively), but transfer efficiency decreased, from 41.8% to 26.7%, with increasing α-tocopherol content in the diet. Spray-drying significantly decreased the α-tocopherol content of eggs and increased lipid oxidation. Dietary supplementation with different levels of α-TA significantly reduced lipid oxidation in spray-dried eggs. α-TA supplementation had no significant effect on the fatty acid composition of fresh eggs.