Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Graduated MSc Student, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.
2 Student
3 Bachelor's degree graduate, Water and Soil Department, Imam Khomeini Higher Education Institute, Karaj, Iran.
Abstract
The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of eggshell coating with starch-nano titanium dioxide nanobiocomposite and its modification by ultraviolet radiation on egg quality traits, hatching percentage and quality of one-day-old chicks. In this experiment, 250 fresh fertilized eggs were stored for 14 days at a temperature below 21 °C after shell coating and then transferred to the incubator. The experimental treatments included: 1) control, 2) biocomposite coating, 3) nanobiocomposite coating + titanium dioxide, 4) nanobiocomposite coating + titanium dioxide and its modification by ultraviolet light for 10 minutes and 5) nanobiocomposite coating + titanium dioxide and its modification by ultraviolet light for 20 minutes. The results showed that the loss of egg weight, Haugh unit, and yolk index and the increase in albumen pH after 14 days of storage in eggs coated with different biocomposite-based coatings were significantly lower compared to the control treatment (P<0.05). The percentage of first-grade chicks and the body weight of chicks hatched from eggs coated with different coatings were higher than those in the control treatment (P<0.05). The use of nanobiocomposite starch-nano titanium dioxide coating and its modification by ultraviolet light for 20 minutes reduced the hatching percentage compared to other experimental treatments (P<0.05). In general, biocomposite coatings improve egg quality parameters and subsequently prevent weight loss. As a result, the use of this type of coating without ultraviolet light during storage greatly increases the hatching percentage and the quality of the resulting chick.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)