Effects of dietary fibers on liver lipid accumulation in chicks fed low fat diet

Akiba, Y.; Shiratori, S.; Matsumoto, T.

Single Comb White Leghorn male chicks (14 days old) were given a basal diet (fat content 6%) or a low-fat diet (fat content 0.4%) for 14 days by force-feeding. Three kinds of fiber powder (cellulose, polyethylene and polyamide) were supplemented at the level of 4% to each diet. Feeding of the low-fat diet increased liver weight and liver lipid to approximately 2- and 3-fold as much as those of the basal diet, respectively, and decreased abdominal fat weight remarkably. Feeding of cellulose depressed liver lipid content in chicks fed the basal diet more remarkably than the low-fat diet. Feeding of polyethylene depressed liver lipid in chicks fed the low-fat diet more remarkably than in the chicks fed the basal diet. The effect of dietary cellulose on lipid metabolism is influenced by dietary fat content and is different from that of polyethylene, a synthetic fiber.