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Animal : An International Journal of... Jul 2015The objective of the present study was to estimate heritabilities as well as genetic and phenotypic correlations for egg weight, specific gravity, shape index, shell...
The objective of the present study was to estimate heritabilities as well as genetic and phenotypic correlations for egg weight, specific gravity, shape index, shell ratio, egg shell strength, egg length, egg width and shell weight in Japanese quail eggs. External egg quality traits were measured on 5864 eggs of 934 female quails from a dam line selected for two generations. Within the Bayesian framework, using Gibbs Sampling algorithm, a multivariate animal model was applied to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations for external egg quality traits. The heritability estimates for external egg quality traits were moderate to high and ranged from 0.29 to 0.81. The heritability estimates for egg and shell weight of 0.81 and 0.76 were fairly high. The genetic and phenotypic correlations between egg shell strength with specific gravity, shell ratio and shell weight ranging from 0.55 to 0.79 were relatively high. It can be concluded that it is possible to determine egg shell quality using the egg specific gravity values utilizing its high heritability and fairly high positive correlation with most of the egg shell quality traits. As a result, egg specific gravity may be the choice of selection criterion rather than other external egg traits for genetic improvement of egg shell quality in Japanese quails.
Topics: Animals; Bayes Theorem; Coturnix; Egg Shell; Female; Organ Size; Ovum; Phenotype; Quantitative Trait, Heritable; Specific Gravity
PubMed: 25851501
DOI: 10.1017/S1751731115000506 -
Iranian Biomedical Journal Mar 2022Immobilization is an approach in industry to improve stability and reusability of urease. The efficiency of this technique depends on the type of membrane and the method...
BACKGROUND
Immobilization is an approach in industry to improve stability and reusability of urease. The efficiency of this technique depends on the type of membrane and the method of stabilization.
METHODS
The PEI-modified egg shell membrane was used to immobilize urease by absorption and glutaraldehyde cross-linking methods. The membranes were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and AFM, and Nessler method was applied to measure the kinetic of the immobilized enzymes. Finally, the storage stability (6 °C for 21 days) and reusability (until enzyme activity reached to zero) of the immobilized enzymes were investigated.
RESULTS
Based on FTIR, three new peaks were observed in both the absorption- (at 1389.7, 1230.8, and 1074.2 cm-1) and the cross-linking (at 1615-1690, 1392.7, 1450 cm-1) immobilized enzymes. The surface roughness of the native membrane was altered after PEI treatment and enzyme immobilization. The optimal pH of cross-linking immobilized enzymes was shifted to a more neutral pH, while it was alkaline in adsorption-immobilized and free enzymes. The reaction time decreased in all immobilized enzymes (100 min for free enzyme vs. 60 and 30 min after immobilizing by adsorption and cross-linking methods, respectively). The optimal temperature for all enzymes was 70 °C and they had a higher Km and a lower Vmax than free enzyme. The stability and reusability of urease were improved by both methods.
CONCLUSION
Our findings propose these approaches as promising ways to enhance the urease efficiency for its applications in industries and medicines.
Topics: Animals; Egg Shell; Enzymes, Immobilized; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Kinetics; Urease
PubMed: 34837893
DOI: 10.52547/ibj.26.2.132 -
Journal of Agricultural and Food... Nov 2015Egg shells are poultry industry byproducts with potential for use in various biological and agricultural applications. We have been interested in the membranes...
Egg shells are poultry industry byproducts with potential for use in various biological and agricultural applications. We have been interested in the membranes underlying the calcareous shell as a feed supplement, which showed potential to improve immunity and performance of post hatch poultry. Therefore, to determine their protein and peptide profiles, we extracted the egg shell membranes (ESM) from fresh unfertilized eggs with methanol and guanidine hydrochloride (GdHCl) to obtain soluble proteins for analysis by mass spectrometry. The methanol extract was subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI), electrospray ionization (ESI), high-performance reverse phase liquid chromatographic separation (HPLC), and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to determine its peptide and protein profiles. The GdHCl extract was subjected to ESI-HPLC-MS/MS following trypsin digestion of reduced/alkylated proteins. Nine proteins from the methanol extract and >275 proteins from the GdHCl extract were tentatively identified. The results suggested the presence of several abundant proteins from egg whites, such as ovoalbumin, ovotransferrin, and lysozyme as well as many others associated with antimicrobial, biomechanical, cytoskeletal organizational, cell signaling, and enzyme activities. Collagens, keratin, agrin, and laminin were some of the structural proteins present in the ESM. The methanol-soluble fraction contained several clusterin peptides and defensins, particularly, two isoforms of gallin. The ratios of the two isoforms of gallin differed between the membranes obtained from brown and white eggs. The high abundance of several antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and other bioactive proteins in the ESM along with its potential to entrap various microbes and antigens may make it a suitable vehicle for oral immunization of post hatch poultry and improve their disease resistance.
Topics: Animals; Chickens; Egg Shell; Membrane Proteins; Peptides; Proteins; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Yolk Sac
PubMed: 26485361
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b04266 -
International Journal of Food... Jul 2013The vast majority of eggs in Australia are washed prior to packing to remove dirt and fecal material and to reduce the microbial contamination of the egg shell. The egg...
The vast majority of eggs in Australia are washed prior to packing to remove dirt and fecal material and to reduce the microbial contamination of the egg shell. The egg contents can be an ideal growth medium for microorganisms which can result in human illness if eggs are stored improperly and eaten raw or undercooked, and it is estimated that egg-related salmonellosis is costing Australia $44 million per year. Egg shell characteristics such as shell thickness, amount of cuticle present, and thickness of individual egg shell layers can affect the ease with which bacteria can penetrate the egg shell and washing could partially or completely remove the cuticle layer. The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of egg washing on cuticle cover and effects of egg shell quality and cuticle cover on Salmonella Infantis penetration of the egg shell. A higher incidence of unfavorable ultrastructural variables of the mammillary layer such as late fusion, type B bodies, type A bodies, poor cap quality, alignment, depression, erosion and cubics were recorded in Salmonella penetrated areas of egg shells. The influence of egg washing on the ability of Salmonella Infantis on the egg shell surface to enter the egg internal contents was also investigated using culture-based agar egg penetration and real-time qPCR based experiments. The results from the current study indicate that washing affected cuticle cover. There were no significant differences in Salmonella Infantis penetration of washed or unwashed eggs. Egg shell translucency may have effects on Salmonella Infantis penetration of the egg shell. The qPCR assay was more sensitive for detection of Salmonella Infantis from egg shell wash and internal contents than traditional microbiological methods. The agar egg and whole egg inoculation experiments indicated that Salmonella Infantis penetrated the egg shells. Egg washing not only can be highly effective at removing Salmonella Infantis from the egg shell surface, but also allows subsequent trans-shell and trans-membrane penetration into the egg. Consequently, it is important to prevent recontamination of the egg after washing.
Topics: Animals; Australia; Chickens; Egg Shell; Eggs; Food Handling; Food Microbiology; Salmonella
PubMed: 23727650
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2013.05.002 -
Poultry Science Oct 2015The major pigment in eggshells of brown-egg laying hens is protoporphyrin IX, but traces of biliverdin and its zinc chelates are also present. The pigment appears to be... (Review)
Review
The major pigment in eggshells of brown-egg laying hens is protoporphyrin IX, but traces of biliverdin and its zinc chelates are also present. The pigment appears to be synthesized in the shell gland. The protoporphyrin IX synthetic pathway is well defined, but precisely where and how it is synthesized in the shell gland of the brown-egg laying hen is still ambiguous. The pigment is deposited onto all shell layers including the shell membranes, but most of it is concentrated in the outermost layer of the calcareous shell and in the cuticle. Recently, the genes that are involved in pigment synthesis have been identified, but the genetic control of synthesis and deposition of brown pigment in the commercial laying hen is not fully understood. The brown coloration of the shell is an important shell quality parameter and has a positive influence on consumer preference. The extent of pigment deposition is influenced by the housing system, hen age, hen strain, diet, stressors, and certain diseases such as infectious bronchitis. In this article, the physiological and biochemical characteristics of the brown pigment in commercial brown-egg layers are reviewed in relation to its various functions in the poultry industry.
Topics: Animals; Chickens; Egg Shell; Female; Pigmentation
PubMed: 26240390
DOI: 10.3382/ps/pev202 -
Integrative Zoology Jan 2018The response of embryos to unpredictable hypoxia is critical for successful embryonic development, yet there remain significant gaps in our understanding of such...
The response of embryos to unpredictable hypoxia is critical for successful embryonic development, yet there remain significant gaps in our understanding of such responses in reptiles with different types of egg shell. We experimentally generated external regional hypoxia by sealing either the upper half or bottom half of the surface area of eggs in 2 species of reptiles (snake [Lycodon rufozonatum] with parchment egg shell and Chinese soft-shelled turtle [Pelodiscus sinensis] with rigid egg shell), then monitored the growth pattern of the opaque white patch in turtle eggs (a membrane that attaches the embryo to the egg shell and plays an important role in gas exchange), the embryonic heart rate, the developmental rate and the hatchling traits in turtle and snake eggs in response to external regional hypoxia. The snake embryos from the hypoxia treatments facultatively increased their heart rate during incubation, and turtle embryos from the upper-half hypoxia treatment enhanced their growth of the opaque white patch. Furthermore, the incubation period and hatching success of embryos were not affected by the hypoxia treatment in these 2 species. External regional hypoxia significantly affected embryonic yolk utilization and offspring size in the snake and turtle. Compared to sham controls, embryos from the upper-half hypoxia treatment used less energy from yolk and, therefore, developed into smaller hatchlings, but embryos from the bottom-half hypoxia treatment did not.
Topics: Animals; Egg Shell; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Embryonic Development; Heart Rate; Snakes; Turtles
PubMed: 28504478
DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12269 -
Zeitschrift Fur Parasitenkunde (Berlin,... Mar 1976Egg-shell formation in Isoparorchis hypselobagri is descirbed. The egg-shell in Isoparorchis hypselobagri is colorless and transparent as in case of Diplodiscus mehrai...
Egg-shell formation in Isoparorchis hypselobagri is descirbed. The egg-shell in Isoparorchis hypselobagri is colorless and transparent as in case of Diplodiscus mehrai (Madhavi, 1968). Eleven histochemical tests were used to elucidate the process and it was observed that the basic mechanism of egg-shell formation followed the quinone tanned system as all the three precursors i.e. proteins, phenols and phenolase were present in vitelline globules.
Topics: Animals; Catechol Oxidase; Egg Proteins; Egg Shell; Female; Phenols; Quinones; Trematoda
PubMed: 817526
DOI: 10.1007/BF00445021 -
British Poultry Science Sep 19891. The relationships between egg weight, egg specific gravity, shell weight, shell calcium and shell thickness of 800 eggs from 8 treatments were expressed using...
1. The relationships between egg weight, egg specific gravity, shell weight, shell calcium and shell thickness of 800 eggs from 8 treatments were expressed using mathematical models. 2. The equations describing the relationships were on the basis of any two independent variables predicting the remainder. 3. Of 10 possible models, 4 had high co-efficients of determination (R2 greater than 0.80) for each predicted dependent variable. 4. The two independent variables in each of these 4 models were, in turn, egg weight and specific gravity, egg weight and shell weight, egg weight and shell thickness, and specific gravity and shell weight. 5. The best model was that having egg weight and specific gravity as independent variables, with R2 values of 0.94, 0.88, and 0.85 for predicted shell weight, shell calcium, and shell thickness, respectively. Moreover, egg characteristics can be measured non-destructively by this model, whereas the other three require destruction of the egg.
Topics: Age Factors; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Calcium; Calcium, Dietary; Chickens; Egg Shell; Eggs; Female; Models, Biological; Regression Analysis; Specific Gravity
PubMed: 2819505
DOI: 10.1080/00071668908417185 -
Poultry Science Dec 2008The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various levels of dietary black cumin seed on egg production, egg weight, feed conversion ratio, egg shell...
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various levels of dietary black cumin seed on egg production, egg weight, feed conversion ratio, egg shell quality, and egg yolk cholesterol. In this study, eighty 27-wk-old laying hens (Hyline-5 White) were randomly assigned into 4 groups with 4 replicates of 5 birds each (20 laying hens per group) and fed diets supplemented with 1, 2, or 3% black cumin. Eggs were collected and weighed daily. Laying performance, egg quality, and feed conversion ratio were evaluated. Laying hens fed the diet supplemented with 3% black cumin had greater egg production than the control. Diets supplemented with 2 or 3% black cumin increased egg weight compared with other groups. Yolk weights of the eggs from hens fed diets containing 1, 2, and 3% black cumin were significantly greater than those from the control group. Shell thickness of the eggs from chickens fed 2 or 3% black cumin seed was significantly greater than those from chickens fed diets supplemented with 0 or 1% black cumin seed. Also, shell strength of the eggs from hens fed diets supplemented with 3% black cumin seed was significantly greater than the control. In addition, diets supplemented with 2 or 3% black cumin significantly decreased egg cholesterol per gram of yolk compared. No level of black cumin seed supplementation had any effect on live weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, organ weights, and abdominal adipose tissue. This study showed that black cumin at the level of 2 or 3% would positively influence egg production, egg weight, and shell quality and decrease the concentration of cholesterol in the egg yolk.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Chickens; Cholesterol; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Egg Shell; Eggs; Female; Nigella sativa; Oviposition; Seeds
PubMed: 19038815
DOI: 10.3382/ps.2008-00097 -
Nature Dec 2004The recent discovery of a pterosaur egg with embryonic skeleton and soft tissues from the Yixian Formation confirmed that the flying pterosaurs were oviparous. Here we...
The recent discovery of a pterosaur egg with embryonic skeleton and soft tissues from the Yixian Formation confirmed that the flying pterosaurs were oviparous. Here we describe another pterosaur egg whose exquisite preservation indicates that the shell structure was soft and leathery.
Topics: Animals; Bone and Bones; China; Dinosaurs; Egg Shell; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Fossils; History, Ancient; Wings, Animal
PubMed: 15577900
DOI: 10.1038/432572a