Evaluation of two novel biochemicals on plasma and egg yolk lipid composition and laying hen performance

PD132301-2, an inhibitor of acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol O-acyltransferase (ACAT; EC 2.3.1.26), and 1-stearylboronic acid (SBA), a fatty acid analogue, were orally administered to White Leghorn hens in separate experiments to evaluate their effects on layer performance and plasma and egg yolk lipids. Five 60-wk-old hens each were fed either a corn-soybean meal basal layer ration, or the basal diet supplemented with .0121, .0363, or .1089% PD132301-2. In a second experiment, 12 37-wk-old hens each were fed either a basal layer ration, or the basal diet supplemented with .20 or .40% SBA. The duration of the experiments were 21 and 16 days, respectively. Neither compound significantly affected hen-day production, egg weight, yolk weight, BW gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, or egg yolk cholesterol content. PD132301-2 had no effect on yolk fatty acid profiles, and C22:6n3 was the only fatty acid altered by SBA. Although 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors have been successful in reducing egg cholesterol, ACAT inhibitors and fatty acid analogues apparently hold little promise in this regard. The results of the present work also support the concept that, in order to pharmacologically alter the cholesterol content of eggs, direct inhibition of key enzymes in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway is necessary.