Designer egg evaluation in a controlled trial

Objective: To evaluate the ability of designer eggs enriched in vitamin E, lutein, selenium (Se) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to deliver micronutrie nts to the human in a palatable and visually acceptable form. Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, two treatment groups balanc ed for sex and age. Setting: Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, SAG, Scotland. Subjects: Forty healthy adult Volunteers completed the study. Volunteers we re recruited among staff of the Scottish Agricultural College. Interventions: Volunteers consumed, for 8 weeks, either a designer egg or a normal table egg per day. Fasting blood samples were taken before and at t he end of the study. Results: Consumption of designer eggs enriched in vitamin E, lutein, Se and DHA significantly increased the levels alpha-tocopherol, lutein and DHA in plasma as compared to the changes found after consumption of normal table eggs, with the largest increases found in plasma lutein (1.88-fold increase ). The proportion of DHA was increased in all the main lipid classes of the plasma including triacylglycerol (2.3-fold), free fatty acids (1.6-fold), cholesteryl ester(l.-l-fold) and phospholipid (1.3-fold). Egg consumption d id not change Sc concentration in plasma, blood pressure, total plasma lipi d concentrations or the concentrations of total cholesterol and HDL-cholest erol in plasma. Conclusion; Consumption of designer eggs enriched in vitamin E, lutein, DHA and Se as part of normal diet for 8 weeks effectively increased the blood levels of alpha-tocopherol, lutein and DHA. Sponsorship: Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment, and Fisheries Depart ment.