Effect of inositol, lecithin, vitamins (B12 with choline and E), and iodinated casein on induced fatty liver-hemorrhagic syndrome in laying chickens

Betaine as an alternative feed additive to choline and its effect on performance, blood parameters, and egg quality in laying hens rations

This research aimed to evaluate how using betaine levels as a choline substitute affects productive performance, egg quality parameters, fatty acids profile, and antioxidant status in laying hens. One hundred and forty brown chickens, 45 wk old, were divided into 4 groups, each group of 7 replicates with 5 chickens per replicate. The first group of diets with choline has control (A) 100% choline, the second group (B) 75% choline + 25% betaine, the third group (C) 50% choline + 50% betaine, and the fourth group (D) received 100% betaine. No significant effects were observed in final body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), egg production (EW), and feed intake (FI) for laying hens. In the diet in which betaine was replaced choline, egg mass (EM) and egg weight (EW) increased compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Also, after 12 wk of feeding, the egg quality parameters were not influenced; however, yolk color was increased significantly compared with the control group. Serum total cholesterol, LDL-lipoprotein, HDL-lipoprotein, triglyceride, glucose, aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) were not affected by replacing choline with betaine. Furthermore, liver malondialdehyde (MDA) content, yolk vitamin E, and fatty acid levels were not significantly affected by replacing choline with betaine. Moreover, hens fed betaine displayed an increased antibody titer of the Newcastle disease (ND) virus. EW and EM were increased by 3.50% and 5.43% in 100% betaine group (D) when compared to the control group. Isthmus weight was decreased by 48.28 % in 50% choline + 50% betaine group (C) when compared to the control group. ND was increased by 26.24% in 100% betaine group when compared to the control group. In conclusion, betaine supplementation positively affected productive performance, egg quality measurements, and immunity response in Bovans brown laying hens.

Production and metabolic consequences of high-energy and low-crude-protein diet fed to 49-wk-old Shaver white leghorn without or with top-dressed organic selenium

Production and metabolic consequences of feeding 49-wk-old Shaver white hens a high-energy low-crude-protein (HELP) diet were investigated over 6 wk. The test diets included standard diet [2750 kcal kg−1apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and 17.5% crude protein (CP)], HELP (3000 kcal kg−1of AME and 13.0% CP) diet, and HELP top dressed with selenium (HELP + Se). All diets had 0.3 mg Se kg−1as part of premix. Hens (33) were procured, three birds necropsied for baseline liver samples, and the rest placed in individual cages and allocated diets (n = 10). Feed intake (FI), hen day egg production (HDEP), and egg weight (EW) were monitored weekly. Plasma and liver samples were collected from all birds. Birds fed standard and HELP diets had similar (P > 0.05) FI (with exception of weeks 4 and 5) and HDEP, whereas HELP + Se depressed (P < 0.05) feed and nutrient intake at weeks 5 and 6, HDEP, and EW. There were no (P > 0.05) diet effects on hepatic weight and crude fat content. Birds fed HELP diets had lower (P > 0.05) concentration of plasma total protein, macrominerals, and some enzymes. Overall, HELP diet had minimal impact on production and metabolism; however, addition of Se had negative effects on hen performance.

Dietary choline supplementation regulated lipid profiles of egg yolk, blood, and liver and improved hepatic redox status in laying hens

Five hundred and forty 19-wk-old HyLine Brown laying hens were randomly distributed to 6 dietary treatments and fed 1of 6 corn-soybean meal-based diets added into choline with 0, 425, 850, 1,700, 3,400, and 6,800 mg/kg to investigate effects of dietary choline supplementation on lipid profiles of egg yolk, serum and liver, and hepatic redox status of laying hens. Yolk weight and total lipid, triglyceride, cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine, serum triglyceride, cholesterol, apolipoprotein B 100 (apoB 100), and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), and liver relative weight, total lipid, triglyceride and apoB 100 as well as hepatic total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in laying hens at weeks 58 and 68 of age were determined. The differences (P < 0.001) were caused by choline treatments in yolk phosphatidylcholine (at 850 mg/kg or more choline), serum VLDL, and liver triglyceride (at 1,700 and 3,400 mg/kg choline) of birds, at weeks 58 and 68 of age, and yolk total lipids were elevated (P < 0.05) by supplemental choline at 3,400 mg/kg whereas liver total lipids were reduced (P < 0.05) by 1,700 and 3,400 mg/kg choline addition. Hens fed diets supplemented choline had higher (P = 0.005) liver GSH-Px activity (with 3,400 mg/kg choline) and greater (P = 0.014) T-AOC (with 1,700 mg/kg choline) than those fed diets with 0 and 425 mg/kg choline addition. Choline affected serum VLDL, liver total lipid, triglyceride and apoB 100 at weeks 58 and 68 of age and hepatic GSH-Px activity, T-AOC and MDA at week 68 of age quadratically (P < 0.05), whereas it influenced total lipid and phosphatidylcholine of egg yolk linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary choline supplementation elevated yolk total lipid and phosphatidylcholine and serum VLDL, reduced liver total lipid and triglyceride, and enhanced hepatic GSH-Px activity and T-AOC in laying hens.

Nutritional modulation of health, egg quality and environmental pollution of the layers

World egg production and consumption have been increasing for the past decades. Traditional strategies in poultry nutrition have made vital contributions to this great growth in quantity. However, current global issues should be considered in modern egg production such as growing populations and food security, food safety and quality, limited resources and environmental problems. The development of knowledge of poultry nutrition and modern biotechnology provides novel nutritional approaches to closely fit the requirement of pullets and laying hens, which will consequently decrease the nutrition excretion and maintain the lower cost of feed. Nutrition has also been widely accepted as a strategy to influence health and diseases of laying hens. The maintenance of good health is an important prerequisite for improving productivity and egg quality. In addition, there are many measures and strategies for minimizing the incidence of egg defects and providing a choice of lifestyle to enhance human health. This paper reviews current research progress on developing innovative technologies and strategies to maximize animal health and performance, improve the quality of egg products and minimize pollution caused by poultry production.

Nutritional and Hormonal Induction of Fatty Liver Syndrome and Effects of Dietary Lipotropic Factors in Egg-type Male Chicks

This experiment was conducted with male chicks to investigate the influence of hormones and nutrients on the development of fatty liver syndrome (FLS) as well as the effects of dietary lipotropic factors on hepatic fat accumulation and lipogenic enzyme gene expression. A total of two-hundred sixteen 4-wk-old Hy-Line male chicks were divided into six groups and fed an experimental diet (T1, low-energy diet with low levels of lipotropic factors; T2, high-energy diet with low levels of lipotropic factors; T3 and T5, low-energy diet with high levels of lipotropic factors; T4 and T6, high-energy diet with high levels of lipotropic factors) for six weeks. The chicks in T5 and T6 groups were treated with intramuscular injections of estradiol benzoate for three days prior to biopsy and clinical analysis of FLS. Chicks treated with estrogen had significantly greater liver weights than untreated chicks. The abdominal fat contents were increased in chicks consuming high-energy diets as compared to those consuming low-energy diets. Treatment with estrogen significantly increased the concentrations of serum cholesterol, triacylglycerol and phospholipid (p<0.05). The hepatic triacylglycerol levels were tenfold higher in the estrogen treated chicks than in the untreated chicks. There were no significant differences in malondialdehyde levels between the treatment groups. Estrogen treatment dramatically increased the levels of fatty acid synthetase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and ApoB mRNA. The results indicated that treatment with exogenous estrogen in growing male chicks induced hepatic fat accumulation, which might be partially due to increased lipogenic enzyme gene expression.

Choline requirements of male White Pekin ducks from 21 to 42 d of age

1. A dose-response experiment with 6 dietary choline concentrations (0, 342, 779, 1285, 1662 and 1962 mg/kg) was conducted with male White Pekin ducks to estimate the choline requirement from 21 to 42 d of age. 2. Ninety 21-d-old male White Pekin ducks were allotted to 6 dietary treatments, each containing 5 replicate pens with three birds per pen. At 42 d of age, final weight, weight gain, feed intake and feed/gain were measured. Liver was collected to determine total liver lipid, triglyceride and phospholipids. 3. Significant positive effects of dietary choline on final weight, weight gain and feed intake were observed. In addition, dietary choline supplementation significantly decreased liver lipid and triglyceride content and increased liver phospholipids of Pekin ducks. 4. According to broken-line regression analysis, the choline requirements of male White Pekin ducks from 21 to 42 d of age for weight gain, feed intake and total liver lipid were 980, 950 and 1130 mg/kg. Pekin ducks needed more choline to prevent excess liver lipid deposition than to maintain growth.

Effect of selected dietary antioxidants on fatty liver-haemorrhagic syndrome in laying hens

1. Single comb White Leghorn hens of an inbred line highly susceptible to fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) were fed supplemented dietary ascorbic acid (200 mg/kg), alpha-tocopherol (75 mg/kg), or L-cysteine (3 g/kg, and 6 g/kg) for 28 d in order to evaluate the potential therapeutic effect of these compounds against the disease. 2. Supplementation of ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, or a low level of L-cysteine (3 g/kg) did not significantly affect any of the hepatic variables evaluated. Hepatic glutathione was not increased by the supplementation of dietary L-cysteine. 3. L-cysteine supplemented at a level of 6 g/kg decreased hepatic dry matter and fat contents without affecting the hepatic malondialdehyde or the liver haemorrhagic score. 4. Because one of the predisposing factors of FLHS is a high hepatic fat content it was concluded that dietary supplementation of L-cysteine (6 g/kg) may be useful in the prevention of the disease.

Effect of dietary protein and selected antioxidants on fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome induced in Japanese quail

The effects of CP and antioxidants on fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) in Japanese quail hens were studied. In Experiment 1, four treatments were arranged as a 2 x 2 factorial; dietary CP (18 or 24%) and reduced glutathione (GSH, 0 or 120 mg/kg diet) were the major variables, but cysteine and other amino acids were higher in the 24% CP diets. Negative control (NC1) and positive control (PC1) diets were also evaluated. In Experiment 2, the effects of vitamin E (VE) and GSH were evaluated in the presence and absence of adequate dietary sulfur amino acids. Negative control (NC2) and positive control (PC2) diets were used. In both experiments, liver hemorrhage was most severe in quail fed the diets that were formulated to induce hepatic steatosis and limit oxidant defense capability. Liver hemorrhage was least severe in quail fed the diets that were formulated to minimize liver lipid accumulation and support oxidant defenses. Histological evaluation of affected quail livers showed changes consistent with FLHS in chicken hens. In Experiment 1, neither CP concentration nor GSH supplementation influenced liver hemorrhage. In Experiment 2, liver hemorrhagic score was reduced from 3.8 to 2.7 (P < or = .05) by adding VE to the basal diet. The PC2 diet further depressed liver score to only 2.0 (P < or = .05). The data clearly show that Japanese quail are susceptible to FLHS and indicate that a combination of lipotropic and antioxidant nutrients is protective against hemorrhage, even when lipogenic demands are maximized by feeding diets devoid of added fat.

The nutritional significance, metabolism, and function of myo-inositol and phosphatidylinositol in health and disease

Recent advances in nutritional and biochemical research have substantiated the importance of inositol as a dietary and cellular constituent. The processes involved in the metabolism of inositol and its derivatives in mammalian tissues have been characterized both in vivo and at the enzyme level. Biochemical functions elucidated for phosphatidylinositol in biological membranes include the mediation of cellular responses to external stimuli, nerve transmission, and the regulation of enzyme activity through specific interactions with various proteins. Inositol deficiency in animals has been shown to produce an accumulation of triglyceride in liver, intestinal lipodystrophy, and other abnormalities. The metabolic mechanisms giving rise to these latter phenomena have been extensively studied as a function of dietary inositol. Altered metabolism of inositol has been documented in patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, galactosemia, and multiple sclerosis. A moderate increase in plasma and nerve inositol levels by dietary supplementation has been suggested as a means of treating diabetic neuropathy, although excessively high levels, such as are found in uremic patients, may be neurotoxic. A thorough consideration of the biochemical functions of inositol and a further characterization of various diseases with the aid of appropriate animal models may suggest a possible role for inositol and other dietary components in their prevention and treatment

The relationship of plasma estradiol and progesterone levels to the fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome in laying hens

The relationship of plasma estradiol and progesterone levels to fatty liver-hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) was studied with three groups of 9 White Leghorn hens per group. One group was fed ad libitum the other two group were force-fed at 120% and 135% of their own pre-experimental daily feed intake. Force-feeding for 3 weeks produced FLHS. The average FLHS score was 1.6 for control, 3.7 for 120% force-fed, and 4.5 for 135% force-fed. The average liver fat contents were 31.3%, 75.1%, and 76.8% (dry matter basis), respectively. Plasma estradiol averaged 165 pg/ml in the control group and 194 and 247 pg/ml in groups force-fed at 120% and 135%, respectively. The correlation coefficient between plasma estradiol and FLHS was .72 (P less than .01). No significant differences in plasma progesterone were obtained among the control and force-fed groups. The data indicate that high endogenous estrogen levels are associated with FLHS.

Reduction of hepatic lipid deposition in laying hens by dietary selenium-yeast interaction

Experiments were conducted to study the effect of chromiun and selenium on liver lipid deposition and incidence of liver hemorrhage in caged layers. Commercial strains of layers were fed ad libitum equicaloric and isonitrogenous diets. Corn-torula dried yeast diets containing added selenium (.1 microgram/g) with or without supplementary chromium (10 microgram/g) significantly reduced total liver lipid and liver hemorrhage. The effects of protein source (soybean meal vs. yeast) and selenium were separated in a factorial experiment which showed that the hepatic lipid response to selenium results from an interaction of selenium with an unidentified factor in torula yeast. The addition of selenium to diets with each protein source significantly elevated glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity. Inclusion of 5% brewers yeast in the corn-soy diet or vitamin E (50 IU/kg) to the corn-torula dried yeast reduced liver lipid similar to that seen in birds fed the torula-yeast diet containing .1 microgram Se/g. Comparison of oral glucose tolerance of birds fed corn-soy and corn-soy brewers yeast diets showed no significant difference. None of the dietary treatments significantly altered body weight, egg production, egg weight, or feed consumption. The results indicate that the metabolic role of selenium in relation to its role in hepatic lipid metabolism is mediated through an interaction with a dietary factor(s) present in yeast.

Various types of diets, sources of energy, and positive energy balance in the induction of fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome

Adult female chickens were force-fed a corn-soy base diet at 150% of the daily amount consumed by those allowed the same diet ad libitum. Other hens were force-fed diets isocaloric to the 150% group just mentioned, but diet composition was adjusted so that 2/3 of the metabolizable energy (M.E.) came from the corn-soy diet and 1/3 from either corn oil or glucose; or force-fed a low energy diet accounting for 2/3 of the M.E. and corn oil 1/3 of M.E., or a purified diet accounting for all M.E. Fatty liver-hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) was induced in all force-fed groups with only the low energy diet plus corn oil having produced a significantly lower score for FLHS. However, the livers from the hens of the latter group had as much lipid, and the hens gained at least as much weight as those in other force-fed groups. During the third week of the experiment M.E. was determined along with a partition of energy among eggs, basal metabolism, body weight gain, and subsistance plus heat increment (H.I). The data showed that the hens force-fed corn oil had lower H.I. values indicative of associative dynamic action of fats at a plane of nutrition above normal. The data revealed that various types of diets and sources of energy in excess can induce FLHS, and this is discussed in terms of FLHS arising out of a positive energy balance.