Development of Solanum glaucophyllum as a Source of Vitamin D for Laying Hens

Egg breakage and cracking is a major economical problem for the US poultry industry which can affect up to 10% of the eggs produced. The resulting approximately 500 million dollars in lost revenue to producers is a cost ultimately borne by consumers. To minimize damaged eggs, producers have attempted to increase calcium in the ration but have had limited success because the hen's ability to utilize additional calcium is metabolically limited. Feeding vitamin D metabolites to increase calcium deposited in the eggshell has also been tried, but the most effective metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3, is currently too expensive for commercial use. This proposal will further develop a naturally occurring metabolite of vitamin D for use in laying hen diets. The metabolite is produced by the plant Solanum glaucophyllum as a vitamin D3-glycoside. This metabolite has the potential to increase the active vitamin D levels in the hen, thus improving calcium metabolism and eggshell strength.