Effects of Calcium Lactate on the Development of Chicken Embryos in a Shell-less Culture System up to Day Seventeen of Incubation

Katsuya Obara; Chizuka Obara Henmi; Mitsuru Naito; Ikki Mitsui; Yumi Une; Atsushi Asano; Atsushi Tajima

doi:10.2141/jpsa.0210024

Effects of Calcium Lactate on the Development of Chicken Embryos in a Shell-less Culture System up to Day Seventeen of Incubation

J Poult Sci. 2022 Apr 25;59(2):168-174. doi: 10.2141/jpsa.0210024.

Authors

Katsuya Obara^{1

2}, Chizuka Obara Henmi³, Mitsuru Naito⁴, Ikki Mitsui³, Yumi Une³, Atsushi Asano⁵, Atsushi Tajima⁵

Affiliations

¹ Takanedai Animal Clinic, Narashinodai 2-16-3, Funabashi, Chiba 274-0063, Japan.
² Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Ten-noh Dai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
³ Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Imabari Campus, Okayama University of Science, 1-3 Ikoinooka, Imabari, Ehime 794-8555, Japan.
⁴ National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan.
⁵ Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ten-noh Dai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.

Abstract

This study examined the effects of calcium lactate on the development of chicken embryos in a shell-less culture system (cSLCS) up to the seventeenth day of incubation. In the presence of calcium lactate, a significant reduction in embryo viability was observed during the first week of incubation in cSLCS. On day 17 of embryo development, no significant difference was observed in the blood plasma calcium concentration or tibia bone density between cSLCS and intact control embryos, whereas the tibia length was significantly shorter in cSLCS embryos than in the intact control. These results suggest that calcium lactate supplementation in cSLCS supports bone formation in developing chicken embryos, but has adverse effects on the viability of embryos, particularly during the first week of embryo development.

Keywords: calcium lactate; chick embryo; microcomputed tomography; shell-less culture; tibia.

2022, Japan Poultry Science Association.