title: Effects of N,N-dimethylglycine sodium salt on apparent digestibility, vitamin E absorption, and serum proteins in broiler chickens fed a high- or low-fat diet.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of supplementation with sodium salt of N,N-dimethylglycine (DMG-Na) on apparent digestibility (AD) in broiler chickens fed low- and high-fat diets. Twenty-eight 1-d-old broiler chickens were fed one of the dietary treatments: a low-fat diet (LF) or a high-fat diet (HF) supplemented with or without 1,000 mg/kg of DMG-Na. Body weight and feed consumption were recorded at 14 and 35 d of age. Average daily growth, daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were calculated. The AD of DM, organic matter (OM), CP, total fat (TF), and α-tocopheryl-acetate were assessed by 2 digestibility trials (at 18-21 and 32-35 d, respectively). Serum protein and plasma α-tocopherol concentrations were assessed at 35 d of age. Final BW, feed intake, carcass, breast, and spleen weight were higher in groups fed LF than HF diets (P = 0.048, P = 0.002, P = 0.039, P < 0.001, P = 0.007, respectively). Liver weight was increased in DMG-Na-unsupplemented groups (P = 0.011) for both fat levels. During the first digestibility trial (18-21 d), the AD of DM (P = 0.023), OM (P = 0.033), CP (P = 0.030), and α-tocopheryl-acetate (P = 0.036) was higher in the DMG-Na-supplemented group than control. Digestibility of total fat was increased by DMG-Na supplementation in the LF groups (P = 0.038). A trend for improvement of digestibility was observed during the second digestibility trial (32-35 d) for DM (P = 0.089), OM (P = 0.051), and CP (P = 0.063) in DMG-Na groups. Total serum proteins (and relative fractions) were positively influenced by DMG-Na supplementation both in LF and HF diets (P = 0.029). Plasma α-tocopherol concentration was higher in groups fed LF than HF diets (P < 0.001).
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Torino, Via L. da Vinci, 44 10195, Grugliasco (Torino), Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Prola
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nery
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lauwaerts
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sterpone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pozzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schiavone
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted / Q000662:veterinary; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000662:veterinary; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004063:Digestion; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D012521:Sarcosine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D004041:Dietary Fats; D014810:Vitamin E; C025138:dimethylglycine; D012521:Sarcosine