HepaHealthy_Egg project seeks to develop a food supplement that will improve the welfare of chickens and the quality of the eggs produced. Within the region of central Macedonia are located the 31,5 % of the egg-producing facilities of Greece. One of the most significant challenges of egg-producing facilities operators is to safeguard the health of their livestock and secure the quality of their products. A common cause of death among egg-producing chickens is the Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome (FLHS), as a result of large amounts of fat deposition within the liver. Moreover, various egg ingredients are found to come from the liver.

The aim of the project is to deliver a food supplement based on the botanical extract of flora flourishing in Greece that will encounter FLHS and improve the overall health and productivity of egg-producing chickens. More specifically, thistle is a native plant of the Mediterranean and is known for its medicinal purposes since ancestry. Remarkably, thistle’s active ingredient, silymarin, has hepatoprotective properties and are administered to humans for treatment of insulin resistance syndrome. In extent, pilot-research will be conducted, by supplying food supplement based on the extract of thistle to chicken livestock and the outcome will be evaluated via internal organ examination.

Furthermore, HepaHealthy_Egg aims in the production of branded high-added value products that will eventually contribute to the sustainable development of egg production in the region of Central Macedonia. More specifically, the use of natural substances at expense of the use of drugs will result in greater acceptability of the products and is expected to increase the sustainability of the sector.

For this purpose, a certain methodology will be followed for the deployment of a commercial production of botanical extract for the use as a food supplement for chickens.

• Extended research on the botanical species of Central Macedonia as well as the extraction methods.
• Development of experimental evaluation methods for the assessment of the beneficial impact of thistle milk.
• Pilot testing of milk thistle providence to chickens
• Commercial utilization of HepaHealthy_Egg project results.