Effects of Dietary Cereals on Lipid Contents of Serum and Liver in Growing Chicks

Abstract

Four experiments were conducted with White Leghorn male chicks to investigate the effects of dietary cereals on the serum and hepatic contents of lipids. 1) In comparison of different cereals in isocaloric diets, total lipid (TL) contents of serum and liver were the highest for chicks fed corn and husked rice diets and the lowest for those fed barley, naked barley and rye diets. An intermediate level was obtained with a wheat diet. 2) A milled naked barley diet was nearly as effective as a whole naked barley diet in lowering the TL and cholesterol contents of the serum and the TL content of the liver. Naked barley bran added to a corn starch diet at a level of 25% reduced TL and cholesterol contents of the serum, but the liver TL content was not influenced.3) The addition of naked barley bran to a corn starch diet containing 1% cholesterol was effective in lowering the serum levels of TL, triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol, but had no effect on the lipid level of the liver. 4) Force-feeding a corn starch diet containing naked barley bran reduced TL and TG levels of the liver as compared with force-feeding a diet without the bran, whereas the levels of TL and TG in the serum were not affected.Jpn. J. Zootech. Sci., 55 (12): 964-972, 1984 A number of studies have been made on the effects of dietary cereals on the lipid contents of the plasma and liver in laying hens and Japanese quail, but the results sometimes conflict. JENSEN et al. 1) compared liver fat accumulation in hens fed isocaloric diets containing different cereal grains and obtained the result that the liver fat content of hens fed diets containing wheat, barley, oats and rye was less than that of hens fed diets containing corn and sorghum. PATEL et al. 2) reported that hens fed diets containing wheat and rye showed a lipid content of the liver significantly lower than those fed a corn diet, and ROGEL and VOHRA3) indicated that the addition of oat bran and hull to a semipurified diet containing 0.5% cholesterol was effective in owering the liver lipid content of Japanese quail. MAURICE and JENSEN4-6) reported that feeding a wheat diet reduced the lipid contents of the plasma and liver in Japanese quail, as compared with feeding a corn diet. On the contrary, KIM et al.7) and HAGHIGHI-RAD and POLIN8) found no significant difference in the liver lipid content between hens fed diets containing corn and wheat.