PHYSICAL COMPARATIVE AND NUTRITIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF MALEO EGGS

Abstract

Maleo bird (Macrocephalon male0,S.Muller), is endemic bird of Sulawesi that
lays its eggs in tropical rainforest closed to geothermal sources or at beaches exposed to the sun. This bird is severely threatened by over-exploitation of its eggs and destruction of its nesting grounds and habitat. It is listed in the Red Data Book and has been the subject of conservation projects supervised by the International Council for Birds Preservation (ICBP), World Wide Fund for nature (WWF), and the Indonesian Department of Nature Conservation (PHPA). The eggs that used in this experiment take from the nature habitat (nesting ground) at Lore lindu National Park, that selected (unused) for hatchery because it has spotted in that egg shell. Physical characteristics that measure are: egg weight, egg shell weight, egg shell thickness, egg index, egg shape, yolk, albumen. Fresh eggs were weighed to the electric ohause balance with 400g the scale 0.01. Length and width of egg were measured by used vernier caliper, egg shell thickness by micrometer, yolk color by yolk color fan, and Hough unit (HU). The egg shape eggs are expressed as length divided by width (L/W), the relative yolk content is expressed as a percentage of the egg content weight. The size of maleo eggs is five times of chickens eggs (maleo egg: 250 g and chickens is 50 g) .The physical characteristics and nutritive composition of maleo eggs have been identified their suitability for table consumption and specific characteristics. Some comparisons were made between maleo eggs and those of avian species. Physical characteristics have been identified: eggs weight (220g), eggs shell thickness (O.39mm), yolk color (14-15), yolk (67.84%, albumen (24.17%), HU (67.41), shell color (brown), eggs index (72.42%).
Nutritive composition of maleo egg are: water (69.93%), crude protein (16.26%), fat (39.22%), crude fiber (0.40%), ash (3.46%), cholesterol (405.77mg/100g), Ca
(108.33mg), P ( 248.43mg), vitamin A (664.53 IU/100g), vitamin B1 (1.37mg), gross energy (7033 kcal). Whereas amino acids and fatty acids composition are not
significantly different compared to that of other avian species. The specifics
characteristics of maleo eggs compared to other eggs of avian species in: size, yolk
(color and weight), cholesterol and calcium content extremely different with others
avian eggs.