The influence of turmeric and curcumin on cholesterol concentration of eggs and tissues [Chickens, diet]

An experiment was conducted in order to study the hypocholesteremic effect of tumeric and its coloring principle namely curcumin both in the presence and absence of dietary cholesterol. Laying hens were used as the experimental animals and they were fed the experimental diets for a duration of 8 weeks. The results of the experiment showed that tumeric or various levels of curcumin had no adverse effect on egg production, egg weight and feed to egg ratio. Moreover tumeric or various levels of curcumin both in the presence and absence of dietary cholesterol did not reduce the fat or cholesterol levels of plasma, liver or the egg yolk. An interesting finding from this experiment was that the egg yolk cholesterol levels of cholesterol fed groups sharply increased at the beginning of the experiment, and thereafter they gradually decreased and tended to approach the normal levels at the termination of the experiment. The possible reasons for variation in egg yolk cholesterol levels of cholesterol-fed groups with time is discussed.