Effects of Dietary Gum Phospholipid on Lipid Metabolism in Broiler Chicks

This experiment was to determine the usefulness of gum safflower phospholipid as a feed ingredient. Forty female broiler chicks were divided into four groups and fed experimental diets containing following fats and oils; beef tallow (Tallow), the blend of safflower oil and palm oil (SP-oil), gum rapeseed phospholipid (Rap-PL), or gum safflower phospholipid (Saf-PL) for 21days. There were no differences in growth performances among the treatments. Abdominal fat weight tended to be reduced in the chicks fed. phospholipids. The activity of hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase was significantly reduced in the Rap-PL and Saf-PL as compared to that of Tallow. Feeding dietary phospholipids resulted in a slight reduction in total fat and triglyceride contents in the breast and thigh muscles. In addition, total fat and triglyceride contents in the thigh muscle were significantly decreased by dietary Saf-PL as compared to those of Tallow. These results suggested that dietary gum phospholipids, either from rapeseed or safflower, had desirable effects of lowing abdominal and muscle fats, and could be used as a feed ingredient for broiler diets.