Lipid Metabolism and Peroxidation in Broiler Chicks under Chronic Heat Stress*

The effects of taurine supplementation on growth performance, serum and liver concentrations of lipid, fatty acid composition and lipid peroxidation in the livers of broilers under chronic heat exposure conditions were investigated. The chicks with a similar body weight were equally assigned to one of three controlled-environment chambers. The brolier chicks, which were kept at 34°C were fed either with a control diet or the control diet supplemented with 0.8% taurine, whereas broiler chicks kept at 22°C were fed a control diet. Both of the BW and BW gains of broilers maintained at a temperature of 34°C were significantly lower than those of the control group, which was maintained at a temperature of 22°C (p<0.05). However, taurine addition in the diet of birds submitted to heat stress siginficantly improved BW gain (p<0.05). The feed intake of chicks declined with increases in temperature. The relative liver and gall bladder weights of chicks fed the control diet and maintained at 34°C were significantly lower than those measured in the control birds (p<0.05). However, dietary taurine was found to compensate for these reductions in liver and gall bladder weights. Relative weights of abdominal fat did not differ significantly among the three groups. Serum triglyceride concentrations were significantly lower in the chicks fed the control diet and maintained at 34°C compare to those measured in the chicks fed the control diet at 22°C (p<0.05). Heat stress resulted in a significant reduction in total lipid and triglyceride levels, but also increased the levels of total cholesterol in the liver (p<0.05). However, dietary taurine supplementation under the heat stress condition resulted in the recovery, to control levels, of serum triglyceride concentrations, as well as the amounts of total lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol in the liver. The livers of chicks fed on taurine diets at 34°C showed significantly higher proportions of C14:0, C16:1, C18:1, C18:2, and 20:3, and lower C18:0 and C20:4 proportions than those of chicks fed on control diets at the same temperature (p<0.05). The total levels of saturated fatty acids decreased, but monounsaturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acid levels increased in chicks fed the taurine diet, as compared to chicks fed the control diet at 34°C (p<0.05). Peroxidizability indices were significantly lower in the heat-exposed chicks fed the taurine diet than in the non-taurine heat-exposed groups (p<0.05). In conclusion, dietary taurine results in an increase in the growth performances of chicks under heat stress conditions via improvements in lipid absorption and metabolism, as well as an induced reduction in lipid peroxidation. (