Betaine: A Potential Nutritional Metabolite in the Poultry Industry

Abstract

Poultry industry has been recognized as a fast-developing sector aiming to produce low-cost and high-nutrient foods for human consumption. This review article aimed to focus on the significant roles of dietary betaine supplementation in the poultry industry. In this respect, different effects of betaine on performance and carcass traits, as well as its osmoregulatory, anticoccidial, immune-modulatory, and heat-stress alleviation activities, were discussed. Different concentrations of betaine supplementation can improve the feed conversion ratio, final body weight, breast muscle yield, egg production ratio, and reduce body fat contents in broiler chicken, turkey, duck, geese, and quail diets. Betaine supplemented with methyl groups can eliminate the need to have some methyl-group donors, including choline and methionine, therefore having positive effects on feed conversion ratio in poultry diets. The osmolytic character of betaine can alleviate heat stress and have a positive impact on tonic immobility, which consequently reduces stress in poultry. By inhibiting distinct developmental stages of Eimeria species, betaine reduces the damaging effects of coccidiosis on broiler chickens and improves intestinal structure and function. The immunological, cardiovascular, neurological, renal, and hepatic metabolic systems benefit from betaine’s osmo-protective properties. Therefore, betaine has the potential to be considered as an alternative to feed additives and enhances the health status and productive performance of poultry.

Evaluation of modified dried vinasse as an alternative dietary protein source for broilers

“…Betaine in MDV may result in a reduction in the deposition of lipids (Abd El-Ghany & Babazadeh, 2022;Eklund et al, 2005). Similar to the present study, a reduction in abdominal fat after 42-day trial was seen with the usage of 2.5% and 5% vinasse in broiler diets (Bilal et al, 2001).…”

“…This may be due to the content of MDV that increases the utilization of nutrients. Betaine may stimulate the protection of the intestinal epithelium against osmotic disturbances and increase digestion, absorption, and utilization of nutrients in broilers (Abd El-Ghany & Babazadeh, 2022;Mahmoudnia & Madani, 2012;Remus et al, 1995).…”

Performance, Egg Quality, and Yolk Antioxidant Capacity of the Laying Quail in Response to Dietary Choline Levels

“…Choline plays several important physiological roles, including synthesizing cell membranes and forming acetylcholine, and is a necessary ingredient in poultry nutrition. So, to maintain animal health and prevent diseases, it is important to include an adequate level of choline [ 27 ]. In the current research, feed intake of the quails fed with a diet containing 2500 and 3000 mg/kg choline decreased ( p = 0.001) compared to the control group (1500 mg/kg).…”

Does the addition of choline and/or betaine to diets reduce the methionine requirements of laying quails? Assessment of performance and egg antioxidant capacity

“…Choline, a betaine precursor, is a beta-hydroxyl trimethyl ammonium hydroxide whose metabolic functions have been well documented: including cell structure formation, regulating hepatic fat metabolism, preventing lipolysis, producing acetylcholine, and providing methyl groups ( Abd El-Ghany and Babazadeh, 2022 ). It also contributes to synthesizing phosphatidylcholine, the primary phosphorus-containing lipid found in the liver, blood, and eggs, and one of the most critical components of cells ( Moghadam et al, 2021 ).…”

“…The methyl group cannot be synthesized by poultry, so it must be supplied in their diet ( Ratriyanto et al, 2017 ). In fact, rather than being a separate methyl donor, the relationship among these nutrients is the use of choline as a methyl group donor to synthesize methionine from homocysteine via betaine ( Ratriyanto et al, 2017 ; Ahmed et al, 2018 ; Abd El-Ghany and Babazadeh, 2022 ). Based on previous literature, there are only a few studies evaluating combined choline and betaine supplementation to reduce poultry methionine requirements, particularly in laying quails ( Ratriyanto et al, 2017 ; Rasul et al, 2019 ), even though these sources of supplementation affect egg oxidative capacity in quails.…”