Comparative study of the lipid composition of the liver and bile from broiler birds during growth and egg laying
Noble, R.C.; Connor, K.; McCartney, R.; Brown, D.
Research in Veterinary Science 44(1): 33-37
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0034-5288 PMID: 3375584 Document Number: 320002
A comparative study was made of biliary and liver lipid compositions during the growth and egg laying periods of broiler chickens. The liver lipids had a high concentration of triacylglycerols (TG) at 7 weeks old and this increased when egg laying proceeded. At 7 weeks old bile lipids were rich in TG which decreased with the onset of egg laying but increased slightly as egg laying proceeded. At 7 weeks old the fatty acid composition of bile TG differed from that of the liver which in turn was different from that of the liver at the onset of egg laying. In particular the bile TG had lower contents of oleic but higher contents of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids. By the late egg laying period, the fatty acid compositions of the bile and liver TG were similar. The unique bile lipid composition and its changes are discussed in relationship to the major features of liver lipid metabolism in the broiler bird and the mechanism of lipid deposition during egg laying.