Effects of Dietary Cereals on Lipid Contents of Serum and Liver in Growing Chicks

Four experiments were conducted with White Leghorn male chicks to investigate the effects of dietary cereals on the serum and hepatic contents of lipids. 1) In comparison of different cereals in isocaloric diets, total lipid (TL) contents of serum and liver were the highest for chicks fed corn and husked rice diets and the lowest for those fed barley, naked barley and rye diets. An intermediate level was obtained with a wheat diet. 2) A milled naked barley diet was nearly as effective as a whole naked barley diet in lowering the TL and cholesterol contents of the serum and the TL content of the liver. Naked barley bran added to a corn starch diet at a level of 25% reduced TL and cholesterol contents of the serum, but the liver TL content was not influenced. 3) The addition of naked barley bran to a corn starch diet containing 1% cholesterol was effective in lowering the serum levels of TL, triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol, but had no effect on the lipid level of the liver. 4) Force-feeding a corn starch diet containing naked barley bran reduced TL and TG levels of the liver as compared with force-feeding a diet without the bran, whereas the levels of TL and TG in the serum were not affected.