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Table 3 Effect of dietary citrulline supplementation on egg quality traits at 42 weeks of age

From: Dietary L-citrulline supplementation modulates nitric oxide synthesis and anti-oxidant status of laying hens during summer season

Parameters

Control

0.25% L-Cit

0.50% L-Cit

1.00% L-Cit

P-value

Shape index

0.74 ± 0.02b

0.77 ± 0.003a

0.77 ± 0.004ab

0.78 ± 0.003a

0.046

STK, mm

0.31 ± 0.005

0.31 ± 0.004

0.31 ± 0.003

0.31 ± 0.004

0.615

ESS, kg•f

3.45 ± 0.20

3.34 ± 0.17

3.54 ± 0.15

3.41 ± 0.15

0.851

AH, mm

6.19 ± 0.50

5.03 ± 0.31

5.69 ± 0.38

6.46 ± 0.47

0.066

Yolk color

5.31 ± 0.49

4.97 ± 0.46

5.51 ± 0.60

5.03 ± 0.55

0.869

Haugh unit

73.91 ± 3.58

65.76 ± 2.89

69.26 ± 2.89

75.53 ± 2.69

0.094

Yolk grade

3.22 ± 0.19

3.11 ± 0.16

3.15 ± 0.15

3.39 ± 0.12

0.625

Absolute YW, g

16.00 ± 0.19

16.00 ± 0.28

15.64 ± 0.26

16.03 ± 0.20

0.592

YW, %

26.26 ± 0.33

26.13 ± 0.44

25.62 ± 0.42

26.20 ± 0.36

0.637

Absolute SW, g

5.75 ± 0.11

5.88 ± 0.11

5.74 ± 0.10

5.64 ± 0.10

0.667

SW,%

9.50 ± 0.16

9.50 ± 0.16

9.38 ± 0.11

9.21 ± 0.13

0.457

Absolute AW, g

39.41 ± 0.82

39.48 ± 0.51

39.80 ± 0.63

39.70 ± 0.82

0.970

AW,%

64.33 ± 0.35

64.36 ± 0.46

64.99 ± 0.44

64.59 ± 0.37

0.618

  1. Data were presented as mean ± SEM. a, b: Means with different superscripts within the same row differ significantly at P < 0.05, (n = 240 eggs). STK Shell thickness, ESS Eggshell strength, AH Albumen height, YW Yolk weight, SW Shell weight, AW Albumen weight