This study explores the nutritional benefits and health implications of omega-3- and omega-6-enriched eggs, positioning them within the context of functional foods aimed at improving public health outcomes. With rising consumer interest in nutritionally fortified foods, omega-enriched eggs have emerged as a viable source of essential fatty acids, offering potential benefits for cardiovascular health, inflammation reduction, and cognitive function. This research examines enrichment techniques, particularly dietary modifications for laying hens, such as the inclusion of flaxseed and algae, to enhance omega-3 content and balance the omega-6-to-omega-3 ratio in eggs. The findings indicate that enriched eggs provide significantly higher levels of essential fatty acids and bioactive compounds than conventional eggs, aligning with dietary needs in populations with limited access to traditional omega-3 sources like fish. This study further addresses consumer perception challenges, regulatory constraints, and environmental considerations related to sustainable production practices. The conclusions underscore the value of omega-enriched eggs as a functional food that aligns with health-conscious dietary trends and recommend ongoing research to refine enrichment methods and expand market accessibility.

As the demand for poultry meat and eggs is increasing in the world, and the use of antibiotics is forbidden in Europe (since 2006), with countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh and China having imposed restriction or prohibitions, researchers and producers have sought for effective non-antibiotic alternatives. Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and phytobiotics are frequently used as alternatives in the field of poultry production. Phytobiotics, plant-derived substances, also referred to as botanicals or phytogenics, are used as animal diets supplements due to their wide range of bioactive compounds (menthol, curcumin, eugenol, allicin and others) and many advantages. They are classified as herbs, spices, plant extracts and essential oils. Some of the benefits offered by the dietary phytobiotics are antimicrobial, antioxidant, digestion stimulant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, carminative, antiseptic and appetite stimulant, the modulation of gut microbiota and improvement in the intestinal histology. Some representatives of phytobiotics are turmeric, oregano, sage, thyme, black pepper, ginger, garlic, echinacea, rosemary and others. Despite the significant potential of phytobiotics, their widespread adaptation is currently inhibited by challenges regarding cost-effectiveness (high price for raw materials), scarce regulatory frameworks, and inconsistent biological efficacy. The lack of standardization reflects a dual challenge, enclosing both the inherent chemical variability of raw botanical materials and the technical inconsistencies present throughout the industrial manufacturing, and extraction processes as producers use different machinery for extracting and producing the animal feed. To address these systemic impediments, a joint effort across the entire value chain—from primary producers to regulatory authorities—is essential for the development of unified testing protocols and standardization dosage guidelines that ensure the pharmacological safety and reliability of phytobiotic products.

Large amounts of chemicals with useful properties can be found in by-products of the processing of grapes. Consumer interest in functional foods has increased recently, with dairy products dominating this market. Constituents from grape-based by-products that are naturally occurring in grapes have the potential to enhance the functional qualities of dairy products and lessen environmental damage. As a result, the goal of this research is to provide crucial information on the use of grape skin powder as a helpful ingredient in the manufacture of cheese. In this study, grape skin powder (GSP) was added to cheese to increase its bioactive compounds content and antioxidant activity. Total phenolic content (TPC) was significantly greater in the enriched cheese (5.483±0.443 mg C3G/100 g DW). Adding 2% grape skin powder to the cheese formulation gave an increase of 0.295 mg CE/g DW of TFC and 2.046 mg GAE/g DW of TPC. The GSP-supplemented cheese also showed greater antioxidant activity than the control. This study demonstrates that grape by-products can effectively transfer beneficial compounds to cheese.

Considering that sericulture is an important branch of animal husbandry, not only for the production of silk but also as a valuable source of protein, it is necessary to constantly study the possibilities for its improvement as a branch of this domain. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to assess the nutritional value and digestibility of mulberry leaves from the Kokuso 21 and Eforie varieties, as consumed by silkworms (Bombyx mori L., Bombicidae Family, Lepidoptera Order) during a summer study, in 2021. The Japanese variety (Kokuso 21) and the Romanian variety (Eforie) were used as food sources for the Triumf hybrid, developed in Romania; the larvae were divided in two batches of 300 larvae and each set was subdivided into six groups of 50 larvae, which were raised in paper trays based on their age and size. The research indicated that mulberry leaves have an average digestibility value of 54.46%; the aging process of the leaves altered their chemical composition, with most nutrients showing a decreasing trend in digestibility throughout the larval growth period, except for crude fiber, which remained unchanged in the early larval stages and increased to 26.78% towards the end of the experiment. Overall, the Kokuso 21 variety demonstrated superior nutrient digestibility compared to Eforie. An important finding from this study is the need for future research to determine the degree of nutrient metabolism and conversion into silk.

The growing demand for sustainable and healthier egg production systems, combined with the need to reduce the use of synthetic additives in poultry feed, has led to an increased interest in natural feed supplements. This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with ecological sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) powder on the performance and egg quality of 600 laying hens of the Moravia Black breed, raised in a free-range system. Three groups were included: one control group with standard feed and two experimental groups supplemented with 1% and 2% sea buckthorn powder. Over 11 weeks, parameters such as egg production, feed consumption, and egg quality, including egg weight, volume, shell thickness, and yolk color, were monitored. The 2% supplementation significantly improved egg production, egg weight, shell strength, and yolk carotenoid content, with stable feed consumption and negligible mortality, confirming the additive’s safety. These results highlight the potential of sea buckthorn powder as a natural feed additive to enhance poultry productivity and product quality, supporting sustainable and healthier egg production.

Egg-derived proteins are increasingly investigated as multifunctional ingredients for the development of foods that combine nutritional value, technological performance and potential biological functionality. This structured narrative review critically synthesizes the recent literature on egg white and egg yolk proteins as precursors of techno-functional and bioactive food ingredients. The review focuses on enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation-assisted modification, physical technologies and chemical or biochemical strategies, and links these interventions with molecular rearrangements, peptide release, digestibility, bioavailability, allergenicity and performance in food matrices. Current evidence indicates that controlled modification can improve solubility, foaming, emulsification, gelation, mineral-binding capacity and the release of peptides with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory potential. However, functional improvement is strongly process- and matrix-dependent, while most evidence for the reported biological activities remains preclinical, being derived mainly from in vitro assays and animal studies, and does not establish physiological efficacy in humans. Translation into functional foods remains limited by incomplete peptide standardization, scarce human validation, possible persistence or alteration of allergenicity, sensory defects, clean-label constraints, processing reproducibility and scalability. Overall, egg-derived proteins represent promising platforms for next-generation functional foods, provided that future research integrates molecular characterization with digestion and absorption studies, safety assessment, sensory evaluation, pilot-scale processing and validation in real food systems.