The effects of low dietary concentrations of saponin on liver lipid accumulation and performance in laying hens.
1. Feeding 4 or 5 saponin/kg diet depressed food consumption, egg and body weights and liver lipid concentrations. Rate of egg production decreased initially but later returned to normal. 2. At 1 g/kg diet saponin had no effect on food consumption or laying performance but decreased the high liver lipid concentration in two experiments on a heavy (Warren) strain of bird. There was no effect on liver lipid concentration in another experiment using a light (White Leghorn) strain in which liver lipid concentration was low. 3. Excreta lipid, liver cholesterol and plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations were unaffected by saponin but plasma triglyceride concentrations were decreased.
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
D012503:Saponins; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol