Understanding the metabolism of lipoproteins in birds is important to enable nutritionists to design diets aimed at obtaining better meat characteristics and egg quality, and can furnish useful information for future studies. In comparison to mammals, there are a number of expressive differences in the metabolism of lipids in birds, such as the transport of dietary lipids to the liver, hepatic lipogenesis and the presence of unique lipoproteins in the blood (portomicrons). Greater differences are found in egg-laying hens during the production phase, in which lipoproteins produced in the liver, under the action of oestrogen, are used for the formation of the egg yolk. The regulation of the lipid metabolism by hormones and the participation of key enzymes associated to advances in molecular biology techniques could assist in the genetic selection of more productive birds and better quality products for consumers.

RESUMO -Objetivou-se neste estudo avaliar o desempenho e as características de carcaça de frangos de corte, recebendo rações com níveis reduzidos de PB, P disponível (Pd) e Ca, suplementadas com fitase e aminoácidos. As fases de crescimento avaliadas foram: fase 1, 1 -21dias de idade e fase 2, 22 -42 dias de idade. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, sendo os tratamentos constituídos de cincos planos nutricionais (PN), com seis repetições de 25 aves cada. Os planos nutricionais são: PN1 -ração basal (21,4% PB -fase 1) + ração basal (19,3% PB -fase 2); PN2 -ração a basal (fase 1) + ração com 18% PB (fase 2); PN3 -ração basal (fase 1) + ração com 16% PB (fase 2); PN4 -ração com 19% PB (fase 1) + ração com 16% PB (fase 2); e PN5 = ração com 17 % PB (fase 1) + ração com 16% PB (fase 2). Exceto para a ração basal, reduziu-se o nível de Pd para 0,34 e 0,30% e o de Ca para 0,80 e 0,70% nas fases 1 e 2, respectivamente; nestas rações foram adicionados 500 FTU de fitase/kg de ração. As aves alimentadas com PN2 e PN3 apresentaram desempenho semelhante ao daquelas que receberam PN1, enquanto o das aves que receberam os PN4 e PN5 permaneceu inalterado. Os rendimentos de carcaça e peito não foram influenciados pelos planos nutricionais. As aves que consumiram a ração basal nas duas fases de criação (PN1) apresentaram maior rendimento de coxa+sobre-coxa. Houve aumento da gordura abdominal quando as aves receberam os PN3, 4 e 5. É possível reduzir a PB da ração até 16% na fase 2, suplementada com fitase e aminoácidos, desde que a ração da primeira fase seja formulada com níveis nutricionais recomendados.Palavras-chave: características de carcaça, desempenho, enzima, níveis nutricionais Nutritional plans with use of amino acids and phytase for broiler chickens maintaining the ideal protein profile in the diets ABSTRACT -This study was carried out to evaluate the performance and characteristics of carcass of broiler chickens fed diets with reduced levels of CP, available P (aP) and Ca, supplemented with phytase and amino acids. The growth phases evaluated were: Phase1, 1 -21 days old, phase 2, 22 -42 days old. A completely randomized design was used, with the treatments constituted of five nutritional plans (NP), with six replicates of 25 birds each. The nutritional plans were: NP1 -basal ration (21.4% CP -phase 1) + basal ration (19.3% CP -phase 2); NP2 = basal ration (phase 1) + ration with 18% CP (phase 2); NP3 = basal ration (phase 1) + ration with 16% CP (phase 2); NP4 = ration with 19% CP (phase 1) + ration with 16% CP (phase 2) and NP5 = ration with 17% CP (phase 1) + ration with 16% CP (phase 2). Except for basal ration, it was reduced the level of aP for 0.34% and 0.30% in the phases 1 an 2, respectively, and Ca to 0.80 and 0.70% in the phases 1 and 2, respectively , and in theses diets were added 500 FTU of phytase/ kg of ration. The NP4 and NP5 affected the bird performance.The bird fed NP2 and NP3 showed performance similar to those which was fed NP1, while birds that were fed PN4 and PN5 remain...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of reduced-crude protein (CP) and available phosphorus (aP) diets, added with phytase and amino acids for broilers in the growing (14 to 21 days old) and retirement (35 to 42 days) phases on nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus balance. Ninety Cobb broilers were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments and six replications with five and three birds per experimental unit in the growing and retirement phases, respectively. Diets were elaborated to contain reduced CP and aP levels (19 and 17% CP in the growing phase, with 0.34% aP; and 18 and 16% CP in the retirement phase, with 0.30% aP), supplemented with crystalline amino acids and 500 FTU of phytase/kg diet. These were compared to a control diet (21% CP and 0.46% aP for growing phase and 19% CP and 0.40% aP for retirement phase). The reduction of CP in four percentual units reduced the N excretion and increased the retention of this element, showing that the phytase had no influence on N balance when used the crystalline amino acids in the diets. The phytase reduced the P excretion and increased the retention ones. The potassium excretion decreased in reduced-CP diets, but this excessive reduction decreased the retention of this element, except in the retirement phase. It was concluded that the reduced-CP and aP diets, supplemented with phytase and amino acids, are efficient in reducing the pollutant power of the broilers excrements in the growing and retirement phases of production.

RESUMO -Em experimentos de desempenho e metabolismo, avaliaram-se os efeitos do fornecimento de rações com níveis reduzidos de proteína bruta, cálcio e fósforo disponível sobre o desempenho, as características de carcaça, o conteúdo de cinzas na tíbia, o balanço e a retenção de nitrogênio e fósforo de frangos de corte nos períodos de 8 a 21 e 8 a 35 dias de idade. Em cada uma destas fases no ensaio de desempenho, foram utilizadas 30 e 25 aves por unidade experimental e, no ensaio de metabolismo, cinco e três aves, respectivamente, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com seis repetições. Os tratamentos constituíram-se de rações com 21% proteína bruta sem fitase (controle), formuladas com níveis nutricionais recomendados nas tabelas brasileiras, e rações com 21, 20, 19 e 18% de proteína bruta com fitase (8 a 21 dias) e, no período de 8 a 35 dias, ração com 20% proteína bruta sem fitase (controle), e rações com 20, 19, 18 e 17% de proteína bruta, com fitase. Treatments consisted of diet with 21% crude protein without phytase (control), formulated with nutritional levels recommended on the Brazilian tables, and diets with 21, 20, 19 and 18% crude protein with phytase (8 to 21 days) and from 8 to 35 days, the control diet had 20% crude protein without phytase (control), and others diets with 20, 19, 18, 17% crude protein, with phytase.In the diets with phytase (80 g of Ronozyme NP(M) phytase per ton of diet), the level of available phosphorus was reduced in 0.15 and the calcium in 0.30 percentage points in relation to the control diet. No effect was observed with the reduction of nutrients on feed intake, weight gain, or feed conversion in either phase or for the study of carcass characteristics to the 35 days. However, higher abdominal fat percentage was observed when the broilers were fed diet with lower protein level. The excretion of nitrogen and phosphorus decreased when birds received diets with reduced levels of these nutrients. Ash percentage in the tibia was not influenced by treatments. It is possible to reduce protein level, available phosphorus, and calcium of the diets in up to 3, 0.15 and 0.30 percentage points when the diets are supplemented with phytase and amino acids, respectively.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of three sources of glycerine (crude glycerine from soya bean oil - CGSO, mixed crude glycerine from frying oil and lard--MCG, and a semipurified glycerine from soya bean oil--SPGSO) in four concentrations in the diet (17.5, 35.0, 52.5 and 70.0 g of each type of glycerine per kg of feed) on the levels of plasmatic glycerol and the activity of the hepatic enzyme glycerol kinase in broilers of 22-35 days old (experiment I) and 33-42 days old (experiment II). The highest (p < 0.05) plasmatic glycerol level was detected in broilers fed diet containing CGSO. Independent of the source, increasing the concentration of glycerine led to a linear increase (p < 0.05) in the plasmatic glycerol concentration. In experiment I, all the diets containing glycerine resulted in increased concentrations of plasmatic glycerol, in relation to the control diet without glycerine. However, in experiment II, only the diet containing 17.5 g of CGSO per kg of feed and the diets formulated with any of the three types of glycerine in the inclusion concentrations of 35, 52.5 and 70 g/kg of feed resulted in higher plasmatic glycerol levels than those observed in the control broilers. The source of glycerine influenced the glycerol kinase activity only in experiment II, where the use of CGSO in the diet increased the enzyme activity. For both experiments, the glycerol kinase activity increased with the inclusion of glycerine in the diet. In conclusion, based on the absence of saturation of the glycerol kinase activity for the three glycerine sources and for both rearing periods evaluated, the broilers can metabolize the glycerol (at the level of the phosphorylation of the glycerol to glycerol-3-phosphate in the liver) present in the glycerine when the diet is supplemented with up to 70 g of glycerine per kg of feed.