Effects of dietary betaine on growth performance, fat deposition and serum lipids in broilers subjected to chronic heat stress

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of supplementing betaine on growth performance, fat deposition and lipid metabolism status in broilers kept under chronic heat stress. Five hundred and forty chicks were randomly divided into six groups and the two normal temperature groups were held at normal ambient temperature and fed the basal diet (CONT) and basal diet plus 0.1% betaine, respectively. Heat stressed (HS) broilers were held at 32 ± 1°C from days 22 to 42 and fed the basal diet containing variable levels of betaine. Broilers were examined at days 28, 35 and 42 for body weight, feed consumption, fat deposition and serum lipids. The CONT and betaine-supplemented groups showed higher (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) feed consumption, body weight gain, and lower feed : gain ratio compared with the HS-CONT group. Meanwhile, heat stress increased abdominal, intermuscular and subcutaneous fat deposition, whereas the supplemental betaine significantly decreased those compared with the HS-CONT group. Additionally, betaine supplementation significantly decreased triglyceride, free fatty acids, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with HS-CONT. Chronic HS reduces broiler production performance. However, betaine can reverse these negative effects partially and thus improve carcass composition by changing lipid metabolism.

Dietary taurine supplementation improves breast meat quality in chronic heat‐stressed broilers via activating the Nrf2 pathway and protecting mitochondria from oxidative attack

“…It is widely accepted that modern broilers are especially vulnerable to heat stress under a high‐temperature environment . It has been reported that heat stress not only decreases the production quantity of poultry meat, but also impairs the meat quality, which has been a serious problem encountered in the poultry industry . A previous study in our laboratory found that chronic heat stress can impair the quality of breast meat in broilers.…”

“…3 It has been reported that heat stress not only decreases the production quantity of poultry meat, but also impairs the meat quality, which has been a serious problem encountered in the poultry industry. [4][5][6] A previous study in our laboratory found that chronic heat stress can impair the quality of breast meat in broilers. This impairment may be related to the fact that chronic heat exposure can induce oxidative impairment, resulting in irreversible damage of mitochondria.…”

Dietary taurine supplementation decreases fat synthesis by suppressing the liver X receptor α pathway and alleviates lipid accumulation in the liver of chronic heat‐stressed broilers

“…Ambient temperature that exceeds the thermoneutral zone (16–26 °C) can lead to heat stress of broilers . Heat stress is one of the most serious problems encountered in the poultry industry and can cause huge economic losses by decreasing growth performance, impairing meat quality, and even enhancing mortality . In addition, previous studies reported that chronic heat stress could increase the lipid deposition of broilers .…”

Effects of dietary betaine in allogynogenetic gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio): Enhanced growth, reduced lipid deposition and depressed lipogenic gene expression

“…Betaine (trimethylglycine) is a neutral quaternary ammonium compound first discovered in sugar beet, Beta vulgaris , and then found in many other plants and animals (Craig, ). Extensive studies with pig (Huang, Xu, Han, & Li, ), broiler (He, Zhao, Dai, Liu, & Bokhari, ; Leng et al., ; McDevitt & Wallis, ) and duck (Wang, Xu, & Feng, ) suggested that dietary betaine supplementation was effective in reducing body lipid deposition. In aquaculture, betaine has long been used as a feed additive to promote fish feeding and growth (Hidaka, Ohsugi, & Kubomatsu, ; Lim, Chor, Tuzan, Shapawi, & Kawamura, ; Rahimabadi, Akbari, Arshadi, & Effatpanah, ; Tırıl, Alagil, Yağci, & Aral, ).…”