Effects of supplementary choline on quail meat and fatty liver

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of supplementary choline on amount of choline passing to quail meat and reduction of fat deposition in liver. A hundred and thirty-six one-day-old Japanese quails were divided into eight equal groups of 17 quails each. The experiment was designed based on completely randomized design in two controls and six treatment groups: high stocking density, basal diet, control group (HSD; control 1); normal stocking density, basal diet, control group (NSD; control 2); HSD, basal diet + 900 mg kg–1 choline (A); NSD, basal diet + 900 mg kg–1 choline (B); HSD, basal diet + 1800 mg kg–1 choline (C); NSD, basal diet + 1800 mg kg–1 choline (D); HSD, basal diet + 3600 mg kg–1 choline (E); and NSD, basal diet + 3600 mg kg–1 choline (F). Feeds and water were supplied ad libitum. Continuous light was provided. Quails were kept in cages of 50 × 100 cm in size. The choline content of quail meat increased with increasing amount of added choline to feed. The highest choline content (439.2 and 561.2 mg kg–1) in quail meat was detected in E and F groups which fed the 3600 mg kg–1 choline supplemented diet. The total lipid content of liver in E and F groups was reduced by 42% compared with the control groups. We recommend the use of supplementary choline that can improve the amount of choline passing to quail meat and reduction of fat deposition in liver