Abstract
In order to minimize the occurrence of fatty liver, this study investigated how adding a high level of dietary choline or methionine affected the lipid metabolism of Tsaiya ducks. Feeding trials were conducted with sixty Tsaiya ducks during their growing period, when they were 8-12 weeks old, and during their laying period, 10-14 weeks after the onset of laying when they were 26-30 weeks old. The ducks were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group (basal diet), a group in which methionine was added to the basal diet, and a group in which choline was added to the basal diet. The levels of methionine and choline added were twice as high as the levels recommended by the NRC for layer-type chickens. Experimental results indicated that adding choline to the basal diet of growing ducks significantly (p<0.05) increased their body weight, while adding methionine significantly (p<0.05)reduced their body weight. Adding either choline or methionine reduced the ducks' liver fat content in both the growing and the laying periods (p<0.05). Ducks receiving added methionine or choline in their diets displayed enhanced egg production (p<0.05). Adding choline increased serum triacylglycerol (TG) in the laying period (p<0.05). Adding either choline or methionine did not significantly (p>0.05) affect the t-globulin level. Adding methionine increased the activity of liver malic dehydrogenase in both the growing and the laying periods, and increased fatty acid synthetase in the laying period (p<0.05). While adding choline markedly (p>0.05) increased VLDL and apo B in both the growing and the laying periods, it decreased HDL and apo A in the laying period (p<0.05). This study found that adding a high level of choline to the basal diets of Tsaiya ducks in both the growing and the laying periods had beneficial effects. Furthermore, adding methionine affected the lipid metabolism of Tsaiya ducks to a lesser extent than adding choline.