Potential implications of natural antioxidants from plant to improve nutritional quality, oxidative stability and lipid degradation of egg yolk: A review

Food occupies a principal role in human life, having a major impact on health status and representing diverse characteristics that ensure valuable nutrient intake. Ensuring human nutrition has become one of the essential problems facing mankind, and quantity, quality and proper use of food have a major effect on the human body. Many raw materials and food products spoil easily, considerably shortening their shelf life. Extending the shelf-life of food is required to remove seasonal consumption, enlarge availability to the consumer and decrease losses in perishable food products, resorting to some procedures to preserve their properties. If natural antioxidants are used as alternatives for synthetic antioxidants, customer claims for food without damaging residual substances can be satisfied, and the poultry industry would benefit considerably. The principal objective of this review was to describe and under light the current situation regarding the role and importance of the use of antioxidant compounds obtained from natural sources in order to improve the nutritional qualities of eggs following their inclusion in the feed of laying hens. Data from bibliographic sources are analyzed and presented. The characteristics of a number of 9 plants with antioxidant potential are described with an emphasis on their characteristics, utilization, and possible effects on egg quality, performance, and health.