TISSUE AND EGG CHOLESTEROL CONCENTRATIONS OF LAYING HENS FED HIGH-PROTEIN BARLEY FLOUR, ALPHA-TOCOTRIENOL, AND CHOLESTEROL

The effect of high-protein barley flour (HPBF), cholesterol, and alpha-tocotrienol on tissue and egg cholesterol homeostasis of laying hens was investigated. Laying hens (eight per treatment) were fed a basal diet with 0, 5, or 10% HPBF in the presence or absence of 1% cholesterol for 8 wk. In a second experiment, laying hens were fed diets with 0, 10, or 20% added HPBF (+/- 1% cholesterol). In a final experiment, alpha-tocotrienol was incorporated into a basal diet at 0, 20, or 200 ppm and fed to laying hens for 6 wk. In all experiments, plasma and egg cholesterol concentrations were determined biweekly and upon termination of the experiment, liver and breast tissue samples were removed for cholesterol analysis. Inclusion of HPBF in laying hen diets did not significantly influence plasma or egg cholesterol concentrations. However, when fed in the presence of 1% cholesterol, HPBF significantly (P < .01) elevated cholesterol in liver, plasma, and eggs when compared with those of hens fed the basal diet supplemented only with cholesterol In contrast, the breast tissue cholesterol content of the hens was not affected by HPBF or cholesterol in any of the experiments. Feeding the basal diet supplemented with 0, 20, or 200 ppm alpha-tocotrienol to laying hens failed to alter tissue or egg cholesterol contents.