Animal Bioscience

Asian Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies (아세아태평양축산학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Effect of dietary glycine and betaine on productive performance, liver health, intestinal characteristics, and stress response in aged laying hens under heat stress conditions

  • Deok Yun Kim (Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Ryun Ha Kim (Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Hyun Woo Kim (Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Ji Hye Lee (Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Dong Yong Kil (Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University)
  • Received : 2025.08.27
  • Accepted : 2025.11.06
  • Published : 2026.05.01
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary glycine (Gly) and betaine (Bet) on productive performance, egg quality, liver health, intestinal characteristics, and stress response in aged laying hens under heat stress (HS) conditions. Methods: A total of 384 aged laying hens were allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with a 2×2 factorial arrangement, including 2 supplemental levels of Gly (0% and 0.65%) and Bet (0% and 0.20%) in diets. Each treatment had 8 replicates. All hens were exposed to a cyclic HS condition at 31.7±1.7℃ for 8 hour/day and 27.2±1.3℃ for the remaining time during a 12-week feeding trial. Results: No main and interactive effects of dietary Gly and Bet supplementation were identified for productive performance and egg quality in aged laying hens under HS conditions. However, for the main effects, Gly supplementation decreased liver color score (p<0.01) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (p<0.05), while Bet supplementation also decreased liver MDA levels (p<0.05). An improvement in intestinal barrier function (p<0.01) and a decrease in feather corticosterone concentrations (p<0.01) were observed by individual and combined supplementation of Gly and Bet. However, combined supplementation of Gly and Bet showed no synergistic benefits over individual supplementation. Conclusion: Dietary supplementation of 0.65% Gly and 0.20% Bet improved liver health, intestinal barrier function, and reduced stress responses in aged laying hens under HS conditions with little interactive effects of their combined supplementation.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was carried out with the support of the Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development (Project No. RS-2020-RD009204), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea. This research was also supported by the Chung-Ang University Graduate Research Scholarship in 2025.

References

  1. Lara LJ, Rostagno MH. Impact of heat stress on poultry production. Animals 2013;3:356-69. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani3020356
  2. Kim DY, Lim B, Kim J, Kil DY. Integrated transcriptome analysis for the hepatic and jejunal mucosa tissues of broiler chickens raised under heat stress conditions. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2022;13:79. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-022-00734-y
  3. Wasti S, Sah N, Mishra B. Impact of heat stress on poultry health and performances, and potential mitigation strategies. Animals 2020;10:1266. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10081266
  4. Xiong Y, Wang D, Lin W, Tang H, Chen S, Ni J. Age-related changes in serological susceptibility patterns to measles: results from a seroepidemiological study in Dongguan, China. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2014;10:1097-103. https://doi.org/10.4161/hv.27734
  5. Pinto C, Ninfole E, Gaggiano L, Benedetti A, Marzioni M, Maroni L. Aging and the biological response to liver injury. Semin Liver Dis 2020;40:225-32. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0039-3402033
  6. Attia YA, Abd El-Hamid AEHE, Abedalla AA, et al. Laying performance, digestibility and plasma hormones in laying hens exposed to chronic heat stress as affected by betaine, vitamin C, and/or vitamin E supplementation. SpringerPlus 2016;5:1619. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-016-3304-0
  7. Ratriyanto A, Mosenthin R. Osmoregulatory function of betaine in alleviating heat stress in poultry. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr 2018;102:1634-50. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.12990
  8. Eklund M, Bauer E, Wamatu J, Mosenthin R. Potential nutritional and physiological functions of betaine in livestock. Nutr Res Rev 2005;18:31-48. https://doi.org/10.1079/NRR200493
  9. Corzo A, Kidd MT, Burnham DJ, Kerr BJ. Dietary glycine needs of broiler chicks. Poult Sci 2004;83:1382-4. https://doi.org/10.1093/ps/83.8.1382
  10. Baker DH. Advances in protein-amino acid nutrition of poultry. Amino Acids 2009;37:29-41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-008-0198-3
  11. Nam JH, Han GP, Kim DY, Kwon CH, Kil DY. Effect of dietary glycine supplementation on productive performance, egg quality, stress response, and fatty liver incidence in laying hens raised under heat stress conditions. Poult Sci 2023;102:103101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.103101
  12. Won SY, Han GP, Kwon CH, Lee EC, Kil DY. Effect of individual or combination of dietary betaine and glycine on productive performance, stress response, liver health, and intestinal barrier function in broiler chickens raised under heat stress conditions. Poult Sci 2023;102:102771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102771
  13. Rostagno HS, Albino LFT, Donzele JL, et al. Brazilian tables for poultry and swine: composition of feedstuffs and nutritional requirements. 3rd ed: Viçosa, MG, Brazil: Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Zootecnia; 2011.
  14. Al-Qaisi M, Abdelqader A, Abuajamieh M, Abedal-Majed MA, Al-Fataftah ARA. Impacts of dietary betaine on rectal temperature, laying performance, metabolism, intestinal morphology, and follicular development in heat-exposed laying hens. J Therm Biol 2023;117:103714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103714
  15. de Moraes SRP, Yanagi T, de Oliveira ALR, de Nazare MS, Café MB. Classification of the temperature and humidity index (THI), aptitude of the region, and conditions of comfort for broilers and layer hens in Brazil. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Livestock Environment Symposium; 2008 Aug 31- Sep 4; Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. St. Joseph, MI, USA: American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers; 2008. p. 14.
  16. Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) International. Official methods of analysis of AOAC International. 18th ed. AOAC international; 2006.
  17. Han GP, Kim DY, Kim KH, Kim JH, Kil DY. Effect of dietary concentrations of metabolizable energy and neutral detergent fiber on productive performance, egg quality, fatty liver incidence, and hepatic fatty acid metabolism in aged laying hens. Poult Sci 2023;102:102497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102497
  18. Choi YI, Ahn HJ, Lee BK, Oh ST, An BK, Kang CW. Nutritional and hormonal induction of fatty liver syndrome and effects of dietary lipotropic factors in egg-type male chicks. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci 2012;25:1145-52. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2011.11418
  19. Nari N, Ghasemi HA, Hajkhodadadi I, Farahani AHK. Intestinal microbial ecology, immune response, stress indicators, and gut morphology of male broiler chickens fed low-phosphorus diets supplemented with phytase, butyric acid, or Saccharomyces boulardii. Livest Sci 2020;234:103975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2020.103975
  20. Goo D, Kim JH, Park GH, Delos Reyes JB, Kil DY. Effect of heat stress and stocking density on growth performance, breast meat quality, and intestinal barrier function in broiler chickens. Animals 2019;9:107. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9030107
  21. Lentfer TL, Pendl H, Gebhardt-Henrich SG, Fröhlich EKF, Von Borell E. H/L ratio as a measurement of stress in laying hens: methodology and reliability. Br Poult Sci 2015;56:157-63. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2015.1008993
  22. Bortolotti GR, Marchant TA, Blas J, German T. Corticosterone in feathers is a long-term, integrated measure of avian stress physiology. Funct Ecol 2008;22:494-500. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01387.x
  23. Lee C, Kim JH, Kil DY. Comparison of stress biomarkers in laying hens raised under a long-term multiple stress condition. Poult Sci 2022;101:101868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2022.101868
  24. Kwon SH, Lee JH, Kim HW, Kim DY, Kil DY. Effect of increasing supplementation of dietary glycine on growth performance, meat quality, liver characteristics, and intestinal health in broiler chickens raised under heat stress conditions. Poult Sci 2024;103:104352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104352
  25. Molero C. Nutritional solutions to heat stress. Int Poult Prod 2007;15:27-9.
  26. Yao ZM, Vance DE. Head group specificity in the requirement of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis for very low density lipoprotein secretion from cultured hepatocytes. J Biol Chem 1989;264:11373-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9258(18)60474-0
  27. Wang W, Wu Z, Dai Z, Yang Y, Wang J, Wu G. Glycine metabolism in animals and humans: implications for nutrition and health. Amino Acids 2013;45:463-77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-013-1493-1
  28. Yoshida T, Kikuchi G. Significance of the glycine cleavage system in glycine and serine catabolism in avian liver. Arch Biochem Biophys 1971;145:658-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-9861(71)80026-7
  29. Alirezaei M, Gheisari HR, Ranjbar VR, Hajibemani A. Betaine: a promising antioxidant agent for enhancement of broiler meat quality. Br Poult Sci 2012;53:699-707. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2012.728283
  30. Kim DY, Han GP, Lim C, Kim J, Kil DY. Effect of dietary betaine supplementation on the liver transcriptome profile in broiler chickens under heat stress conditions. Anim Biosci 2023;36:1632-46. https://doi.org/10.5713/ab.23.0228
  31. Quinteiro-Filho WM, Ribeiro A, Ferraz-de-Paula V, et al. Heat stress impairs performance parameters, induces intestinal injury, and decreases macrophage activity in broiler chickens. Poult Sci 2010;89:1905-14. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2010-00812
  32. Liu SD, Song MH, Yun W, Lee JH, Kim HB, Cho JH. Effect of carvacrol essential oils on growth performance and intestinal barrier function in broilers with lipopolysaccharide challenge. Anim Prod Sci 2020;60:545-52. https://doi.org/10.1071/AN18326
  33. Liu L, Liu X, Cui H, Liu R, Zhao G, Wen J. Transcriptional insights into key genes and pathways controlling muscle lipid metabolism in broiler chickens. BMC Genomics 2019;20:863. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-019-6221-0
  34. Sakomura NK, Barbosa NAA, Longo FA, da Silva EP, Bonato MA, Fernandes JBK. Effect of dietary betaine supplementation on the performance, carcass yield, and intestinal morphometrics of broilers submitted to heat stress. Braz J Poult Sci 2013;15:105-12. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-635X2013000200005
  35. Peng Q, Zeng XF, Zhu JL, et al. Effects of dietary Lactobacillus plantarum B1 on growth performance, intestinal microbiota, and short chain fatty acid profiles in broiler chickens. Poult Sci 2016;95:893-900. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pev435
  36. Awad WA, Ghareeb K, Abdel-Raheem S, Böhm J. Effects of dietary inclusion of probiotic and synbiotic on growth performance, organ weights, and intestinal histomorphology of broiler chickens. Poult Sci 2009;88:49-56. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2008-00244
  37. Lambert GP. Stress-induced gastrointestinal barrier dysfunction and its inflammatory effects. J Anim Sci 2009;87:E101-8. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2008-1339
  38. Glinton KE, Benke PJ, Lines MA, et al. Disturbed phospholipid metabolism in serine biosynthesis defects revealed by metabolomic profiling. Mol Genet Metab 2018;123:309-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymgme.2017.12.009