Green tea powder supplementation increased viscosity and decreased lysozyme activity of egg white during storage of eggs from Huainan partridge chicken

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether green tea powder (GTP) addition could affect egg quality and egg storage. Eggs were collected after 12 weeks of feeding from control and GTP treatment groups of Huainan partridge hens. Egg quality, radical scavenging capacity, albumen viscosity, lysozyme content and activity were compared between the two groups during egg storage. Eggs from hens supplemented with GTP exhibited higher albumen height, albumen antioxidant capacity, albumen viscosity and haugh unit and lower shell thickness and shell strength when compared to control group (p < .05). During egg storage, eggs from GTP group showed lower decrease of albumen height, albumen antioxidant capacity, albumen viscosity and haugh unit. Eggs from GTP group showed a greater decrease of eggshell thickness and shell strength, increased air space diameter and lower lysozyme activity as compared to the control group during egg storage (p < .05). In conclusion, GTP addition in laying hens decreased eggshell thickness and increased water evaporation from egg white, lowered the activity of lysozyme from egg white. Therefore, eggs collected from Huainan partridge hens fed GTP have poor storage stability.