Effects of Dietary Cholestyramine on Growth and Protein Utilization of Chicks Given Diets Containing Medium or Long Chain Triacylglycerols.

Abstract

The effects of graded levels of cholestyramine (CSTY, a bile acid binding polymer), which prevents micelle formation and bile acid reabsorption, on growth and protein utilization of chicks given diets containing different dietary concentrations of medium chain triacylglycerol (MCT) and long chain triacylglycerol (LCT) were investigated. MCT or LCT diets at 100 or 200g oil/kg diet containing 0, 10 or 20g CSTY/kg were freely fed to 7d old chicks for 10d. Dietary metabolizable energy value of diets without CSTY used in the present study were much higher than the recommended by NRC (1994). Body weight gain was reduced by increasing dietary levels of MCT, but not LCT. The addition of CSTY reduced body weight gain, but did not affect protein retention of chicks fed the MCT or LCT diets.