Influence of Dietary Oil, Cholesterol, and Soysterols on the Fecal Neutral and Acidic Steroid Excretion in Laying Hens

Abstract

The influence of dietary lipid factors (saturated and unsaturated oil, cholesterol, and plant sterols) upon the fecal neutral and acidic sterol excretion in the laying hen were investigated during a nine-week experimental period. Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens at thirty weeks of age were fed two basal diets containing 8.0% hydrogenated coconut oil or safflower oil, with or without supplementing 1.0% cholesterol, 2.0% soysterols, or combination of cholesterol and soysterols with each oil treatment.Feeding safflower oil increased the fecal excretion of bile acids and, to a lesser extent, catabolic neutral sterols as compared to hydrogenated coconut oil. The fecal excretion of sterol metabolites was further enhanced when soysterols and cholesterol were fed simultaneously. When soysterols were fed alone, endogenous cholesterol excretion in feces appeared to increase, but soysterol feeding with cholesterol did not retard the apparent absorption rate of cholesterol.