부산대학교 도서관

A hypothesis was tested that providing buffer solutions or antioxidants during egg storage may help embryos in combating the harmful effect of longer holding periods. Hatching eggs were obtained from a breeder flock (35 wk) and stored for 13 d before set-ting. In experiment 1, the eggs were injected (d 4) with bicarbonate buffer solution (BBS) or PBS. For experi-ment 2, L-carnitine (LC), vitamin E (VE), and vitamin C (VC) were injected (d 7) at 3 different doses. The egg internal quality characteristics were evaluated at 2-d intervals after injection and the remaining eggs were incubated for 21 d under standard conditions. At 21 d, hatchability was recorded and unhatched eggs were broken open to assess the fertility and stage of embry-onic mortality. No differences were noted in albumen pH due to using buffer solutions or antioxidants except for a decreased pH at 2 d postinjection of the high dose of VC (75 mg). In ovo injection of BBS increased the al-bumen index and Haugh unit at d 6 postinjection; how-ever, the response to PBS was not different from that in the control group. In ovo injection of antioxidants did not influence the albumen index, Haugh unit, and yolk index; however, the yolk percentage was partly affected. Irrespective of the dosage, hatchability was greatly decreased following in ovo injection of buffers or antioxidants (as low as 4.3 vs. 87.5% in control), with the highest mortality percentage recorded at early em-bryonic stages (d 0 to 6). Data suggested that, despite improvement in certain egg internal qualities, preincu-bational in ovo injection of BBS, PBS, LC, VE, or VC was associated with a profoundly decreased hatchability for which the underlying mechanism(s) remain(s) to be clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]