Effects of Fructooligosaccharide on Contents of Cholesterol in Muscle and Its Mechanism in Broiler Chicks

This experiment was conducted to study effects of dietary fructooligosaccharide (FOS) on the contents of cholesterol in muscle of broiler chicks and its mechanism.The results were as follows:(1)Consumption of 04%?06% and 08% FOS increased ADG by 933%(P001),1097%(P001) and 972%(P001) as compared with control,respectively.Ratios of feed/gain were decreased by 711%(P005)?879%(P005) and 795%(P005),respectively.(2)Supplementation with 06% and 08% FOS reduced the contents of cholesterol in breast muscle and liver by 1758%(P001) and 2044%(P001),662%(P005) and 787%(P001) compared with the control,respectively.(3)Broiler chicks fed 06% and 08% FOS had significantly lower serum cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and ratios of low density lipoprotein/high density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with the control.Broiler chicks fed 08% FOS had significantly lower serum very low density lipoprotein cholesterol.(4)Supplementation with 04%,06% and 08% FOS significantly decreased the activities of hepatic 3hydroxy3methylglutary coenzyme A(HMGCoA) reductase.(5)Supplementation with 06% and 08% FOS significantly increased the concentrations of cecal acetic and butyric acids and that of plasma acetic acid.Supplementation with 04%,06% and 08% FOS significantly increased the concentration of cecal propionic acid.(6)Chicks fed 04%?06% and 08% FOS had a significant enrichment to cecal Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and had a significant suppression to Escherichia coli.(7)Fecal cholesterol excretion was significantly greater in the chicks fed 08% FOS and fecal bile acid excretion was significantly greater in the chicks fed 06% and 08% FOS over the control.The results of this study suggest that the decreased contents of cholesterol in muscle of broiler chicks may be caused by and alteration in the absorption and synthesis of cholesterol,which might result from the changes in cecal fermentation,and by an increase in the fecal excretion of cholesterol and bile acid.