Influence of Dietary Fat and Choline on Serum and Egg Yolk Cholesterol in the Laying Chicken

Abstract

SEVERAL dietary components have been shown to affect serum cholesterol concentrations in a wide variety of species. Conclusions have varied regarding the effect of dietary fat of animal origin on the one hand and of a plant origin on the other. Human studies (Kinsell et al., 1953; Ahrens et al., 1954; Beveridge et al., 1956; Bronte-Stewart et al., 1956; and Anderson et al., 1957) have shown that low serum cholesterol levels are obtained by feeding certain vegetable oils. Fisher and Leveille (1957) reported that, in a short term experiment with laying hens, blood cholesterol levels were found to be decreased by 20 percent of dietary linseed, sunflower and soybean oils, but not by tallow. The effect of these fats on fatty acid composition of eggs was studied by the same workers, and it was observed that the cholesterol content of egg fat was essentially unchanged by alterations in the fatty …