Effects of lycopene on color and SOD, CAT, TCHO contents in yolk

Xing-hua hens (720) with similar body weight and genetic background were selected. Rice-soybean basal diet was used in this trial. Lycopene was supplemented into basal diet with 0 (as control group), 20, 40 or 80 mg/kg to measure Roche Yolk Color Fan (RYCF) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), total cholesterol (TCHO) contents in yolk. The results showed that RYCFs of 80 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg lycopene supplementation significantly increased compared to 20 mg/kg and the control group; RYCF of 20 mg/kg lycopene supplementation significantly increased compared to the control group; there was no significant difference of RYCF between 80 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg group. RYCF reached a steady state after a week of lycopene addition. Compared with the control group, lycopene supplementation significantly increased SOD, CAT activity, and significantly reduced the TCHO content in yolk.