Decreased Triglyceride and Cholesterol Levels in Serum, Liver and Breast Muscle in Broiler by the Supplementation of Dietary Codonopsis lanceolata Root

Effects of the dietary supplementation of Codonopsis lanceolata root on triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the serum, liver, breast muscle and bile in male Cobb$\times$Cobb chicks were investigated. The chicks (15-42 days old) were fed diets supplemented with 0, 0.25 and 0.5% Codonopsis lanceolata root. No differences were observed in body weight, feed conversion ratio, gall bladder weight or abdominal fat deposition among the control group and the two treatment groups. Liver weights were higher in chicks fed a 0.5% Codonopsis lanceolata diet than in those fed the control diet (p<0.05). However, serum levels of both glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) were not different among the three groups. Broiler chicks fed either 0.25% or 0.5% dietary Codonopsis lanceolata root showed decreased serum levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol compared to the control group (p<0.05). Supplementation with either 0.25% or 0.5% dietary Codonopsis lanceolata root decreased the triglyceride and total cholesterol levels in liver and breast muscle compared to the control group (p<0.05). Biliary cholesterol increased by 15% in chicks fed 0.5% dietary Codonopsis lanceolata root, suggesting that the biliary excretion of cholesterol had been elevated by dietary Codonopsis lanceolata root (p<0.05). In conclusion, these results indicate that dietary Codonopsis lanceolata root can decrease triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the serum, liver and breast muscle of broilers.