Bioequivalence of a commercial polyherbal choline for replacement of choline chloride for broiler chickens
Choline is an indispensable nutrient in poultry diets to ensure optimal growth and health. Alternative sources of choline derived from herbal extracts have been increasingly used as replacements for choline chloride. The objective of this study was to determine the bioequivalence of a novel polyherbal choline source for broiler chickens up to 35 d of age. A total of 1,120 one-d-old male Cobb 500 chicks were distributed to 7 treatments and 8 replicate pens with 20 birds each. The experimental diets were: control (based on rice bran, corn gluten, and soybean meal); control supplemented with increasing levels of polyherbal choline ( HC ; 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg) and control supplemented with choline chloride 60% ( CC ; 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg). Body weight gain ( BWG ), feed intake ( FI ), and feed conversion ratio ( FCR ) were calculated by phases. The effects of choline sources and levels were also assessed on leg deviations at 28 and 34 d, and breast and liver characteristics at 35 d. Data were subjected to ANOVA and regression equations were estimated for each choline source. Increasing levels of both choline sources reduced leg deviations and improved liver redness (a*). Comparing the regression slopes of HC with CC, bioequivalences at 3.34 and 2.43 were obtained for BWG and at 2.88 and 2.30 for FCR, from 1 to 28 and 1 to 34 d, respectively. Therefore, the bioequivalence values for BWG and FCR ranged from 1 unit of HC to 2.23-3.34 units of CC.
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