Effects of supplementing feed with fermentation concentrate of Hericium caput-medusae (Bull.:Fr.) Pers. on cholesterol deposition in broiler chickens

Abstract

The fermentation concentrate of Hericium caput-medusae (Bull.:Fr.) Pers. (HFC) is a liquid fermentation product of fungi. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with HFC on cholesterol deposition in the liver and meat, as well as the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the cecum of broiler chickens. A total of 480 male broiler chickens (1-d-old, initial body weight of 38.8 ± 0.9 g) were randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments with 6 cages/treatment and 20 broiler chickens/cage. The broiler chickens in the 4 treatments received diets supplemented with 0, 0.6, 1.2, and 1.8% of HFC during the 42-d feeding experiment. The results showed that the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations decreased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) as the dietary HFC supplementation increased. The cholesterol contents in the liver, thigh, and breast muscles of broiler chickens decreased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) with increasing HPC supplementation. The serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration and excreta bile acid content increased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) with the increase of dietary HFC supplementation. The gene expression of 3‑hydroxy‑3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) in the liver of broiler chickens decreased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) as the dietary HFC supplementation increased. The contents of propionic acid and butyric acid increased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) as the dietary supplementation of HFC increased. The cholesterol-lowering effects of this treatment might be attributed to the decrease in the gene expression of HMGR in the liver, the increase in SCFA production in the cecum, and the increase in bile acids in the excreta by HFC. Therefore, supplementation of HFC in the diet of broiler chickens may be a means of producing the low-cholesterol chicken demanded by consumers.