STUDIES ON THE EFFECTS OF LYCOPENE IN POULTRY (HEN AND QUAIL)

ISAH 2005 - Warsaw, Poland
Vol 2
STUDIES ON THE EFFECTS OF LYCOPENE IN POULTRY (HEN AND
QUAIL)
Bárdos Lászlo, Kiss Zsuzsanna, Gregosits Balázs, Réthy Katalin, Kerti Aannamária,
Szabo Csaba
Department of Animal Physiology and Health, University St.István,
H-2103 Gödöll?, HUNGARY
Supported by OTKA T 042846 and ALAP1-00140
Key words: lycopene, quail, egg yolk, coloration, blood, IgY, cholesterol, TBRAS, FRAP
Introduction
Lycopene is a member of the carotenoid family as an acyclic isomer of beta-carotene
but has no vitamin A activity. This pigment is responsible for the red color of tomato and its
products. Beside the coloration effects lycopene has one of the highest antioxidant activities
of all the carotenoids (13). Non-antioxidant mechanisms have also been proposed. These are:
upregulation of connexin 43 (gap junction protein) expression (6), suppression of carcinogen-
induced phosphorylation, inhibition of cholesterol synthesis in the HMG-CoA depending step
(1) and stop cell division at the G0-G1 cell phase. Because lycopene may have
anticarcinogenic and antiatherogenic activities a lot of studies focused its effects. Most of the
studies deal with aspects of human health (i.e. prostate and lung cancer) (7, 12) and less in
animal science. For example a fresh tomato was added into the chicks’ diet in order to
evaluate its chemoprotective effect against cytotoxicity of T-2 toxin (9).
Some effects of lycopene were investigated in model experiments on Japanese quail in our
present study.
Materials and methods
Experimental animals and arrangements:
Adult Japanese quail layers were kept in batteries, under natural light. One group
(control) was fed with commercial laying fodder and another with special fodder mixture. It
was carotenoid and retinoid free but its main properties (energy, crude protein, minerals etc.)
was the same. Tomato pasta was added to this experimental mixture resulted 1.55 mg/g
concentration for lycopene. The immunization protocol was carried out on Bovans Nera hens.
Methods:
Lycopene content of tomato paste was calculated by molar absorption coefficient at
OD505 nm of hexane extract (11). The color of egg yolks were measured by Yolk Color Fan
(Hoffmann La Roche). Retinoids were analyzed by HPLC (8); IgY-titer was determined by

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ELISA (10) techniques. Blood lipids were determined by enzymatic Reanal Kits. For the
characterization of antioxidant status we measured the TBA reactive substances (5) and the
FRAP values (2) of blood.
Results and discussion
The color of egg yolks in the lycopene supplemented group increased markedly. The
Yolk Color Fan scores in the control group was fall rapidly (Fig. 1). This phenomenon proves
that the lycopene can be utilized for quail from the tomato paste. Lycopene in processed
foods, in our case tomato paste, is mainly in the form of the cis-isomer. The improved
availability of lycopene from processed foods is due to its release from the ruptured plant
cells following the mechanical and thermal processing, as well as heat induced-trans to cis
isomerization. Cis-lycopene is reported to be more bioavailability than trans-lycopene.
(3).The pigment not only absorbed but via circulation reached the ovary and deposited into
the growing follicles.
Blood triacyl glycerol (TG) concentrations were not differing between groups. The
blood total cholesterol decreased significantly (p<0,01) in the lycopene supplemented layers
(Fig. 2). Lycopene has been found to inhibit cholesterol synthesis, to inhibit HMG-CoA
(hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A) reductase activity (1). Probably this inhibition was in
the background the decreased cholesterol value in the lycopene group.
Blood retinoids (retinol and its esters)
decreased by the 4th week (end of
experiment) indicating that the fodder of
both groups was absolutely free from
preformed vitamin A and /or provitamin
carotenoids as well. Lycopene is an acyclic

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isomer of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene, which contains beta-ionone rings at each end of the
molecule, has provitamin activity. In contrast to beta-carotene, lycopene has no vitamin A
activity and thus is a nonprovitamin A carotenoid.
The immune response of Bovans Nera layers (n=6) were challenged by bovine serum
albumin (BSA) with i.m. injection. Three layers were feed by lycopene supplemented fodder.
The others served as controls. Blood samples were titrated by ELISA against the antigen
(BSA). The IgY titers were elevated both group. The elevation in the lycopene treated animals
was considerably higher (113%) by the second week (Fig.3.). In a controlled trial, 15 mg of
lycopene significantly increased NK cell concentration, but no other immune functions (4).
We found an increased humoral response in our experiment. This simulative effect indicates
that the immune competent cells and tissues have more effective function if the lycopene
input is continuous by fodder. It was described by others as lycopene showed its protective
effect on immune response and reduced the cytotoxicity induced by T-2 toxin in chicken (9).
Lycopene has the ability to quench singlet oxygen (more so than beta-carotene), to
trap peroxyl radicals, to inhibit the oxidation of DNA, to inhibit lipid peroxidation which are
harmful for the cellular metabolism (13). Probably these actions prevent from the oxidative
damages the competent cells during the antigen processing instead of that nether the TBA-
reactive substances nor the FRAP values were not differ significantly between lycopene and
carotene free groups.
From our preliminary investigation we can conclude that the lycopene containing
tomato produce, maybe some byproduct of processing could be use in the poultry nutrition.

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