FATTY ACID-BASED NUTRITIONAL INDICES/RATIOS OF EGG YOLK FROM PHILIPPINE NATIVE AND COMMERCIAL BREEDS OF CHICKENS

Abstract

The nutritional value of chicken egg yolk is important as people now are more interested on its effects on cardiovascular health and disease. This study compared the fatty acid (FA) profile and nutritional indices/ratios of egg yolk from different breeds – Philippine native chickens (Banaba, Joloano, Paraoakan, and Palawan lasak), egg-type (White Leghorn), meat-type (White Rock), dual-purpose breeds (Barred Plymouth Rock, Black Australorp, Nagoya, New Hampshire, Rhode Island Red, and Taiwan Yellow), and fancy-type breeds (Black Silkies and White Silkies) raised in a government poultry research facility at Tiaong, Quezon.  Among the native breeds, the egg yolk from Joloano was healthier from the nutritional point of view, in terms of the highest polyunsaturated FA to saturated FA ratio (PUFA/SFA = 0.49), highest health-promoting index (HPI = 2.01) and hypocholesterolemic/ hypercholesterolemic ratio (h/H = 2.12); and lowest omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (n-6/n-3 = 20.89), atherogenicity index (IA = 0.50), and thrombogenicity index (IT = 1.05). Overall, the yolk from Rhode Island Red had the highest monounsaturated FA to saturated FA ratio (MUFA/SFA = 1.33), HPI (2.10), and h/H ratio (2.18); and lowest IA (0.48) and IT value (1.04). The results of the study not only contribute to the local information on the egg yolk’s nutritional quality and their possible effects on human cardiovascular disease but also provide justifications to conserve the Philippine native chickens.