title: Effects of dietary tamarind on cholesterol metabolism in laying hens.
abstract: An experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential for dietary tamarind to alter serum and egg yolk cholesterol concentrations and overall performance in different layer strains. Thirty, 43-wk-old, Hisex Brown, ISA Brown, Lohmann Brown, Starcross Brown, Babcock B-300, and Starcross-579 strains (5 hens per strain) were fed diets supplemented with 0 (control), 2, 4, 6, or 8% oven-dried tamarind for 6 wk. Egg production, egg mass, and efficiency of feed utilization followed a quadratic response with a maximum when the diet contained 2% tamarind and a minimum when 8% tamarind was fed (P < 0.05). There were no differences (P > 0.05) among strains for egg production, egg weight, yolk weight, egg mass, feed consumption, or feed efficiency. Yolk weight increased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of dietary tamarind in wk 1, 2, and 3 as well as when averaged over 6 wk. Egg yolk cholesterol concentrations were not affected by dietary tamarind. Serum cholesterol concentrations, however, decreased quadratically with increasing levels of dietary tamarind (P < 0.05). It was concluded that 2% supplemental dietary tamarind could decrease serum cholesterol concentrations and increase layer performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sarker
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wahid
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D010058:Oviposition; D029861:Tamarindus
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol