Improvement of yolk coloration and egg quality in Japanese quail eggs through dietary phyto-carotenoid supplementation

Phyto-Carotenoids act as natural colour pigments in a wide variety of plants which are responsible for the yellow, orange, and red hues found in fruits, vegetables, and flowers. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of carotenoids as natural yolk colorants, such as paprika raw meal and marigold flower raw meal on performance, the quail egg quality, and carotenoid content in the yolk. A total of 180 quails were divided into 3 treatment groups with different levels of carotenoid supplementation, as follows: control group, 2% paprika and 2 % marigold flower. Parameters observed included egg production performance, yolk colour intensity, yolk carotenoid concentration, and overall egg quality traits such as shell thickness, albumen height, and Haugh unit. The results demonstrated that carotenoid supplementation significantly improved yolk pigmentation and carotenoid deposition without adverse effects on production performance. Moreover, egg quality indicators such as yolk colour score and antioxidant capacity were enhanced in the supplemented groups compared to the control. These results suggest that paprika and marigold extracts are effective in improving yolk colour and maintaining egg quality without compromising performance.