Effects of dietary tamarind on cholesterol metabolism in laying hens.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential for dietary tamarind to alter serum and egg yolk cholesterol concentrations and overall performance in different layer strains. Thirty, 43-wk-old, Hisex Brown, ISA Brown, Lohmann Brown, Starcross Brown, Babcock B-300, and Starcross-579 strains (5 hens per strain) were fed diets supplemented with 0 (control), 2, 4, 6, or 8% oven-dried tamarind for 6 wk. Egg production, egg mass, and efficiency of feed utilization followed a quadratic response with a maximum when the diet contained 2% tamarind and a minimum when 8% tamarind was fed (P < 0.05). There were no differences (P > 0.05) among strains for egg production, egg weight, yolk weight, egg mass, feed consumption, or feed efficiency. Yolk weight increased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of dietary tamarind in wk 1, 2, and 3 as well as when averaged over 6 wk. Egg yolk cholesterol concentrations were not affected by dietary tamarind. Serum cholesterol concentrations, however, decreased quadratically with increasing levels of dietary tamarind (P < 0.05). It was concluded that 2% supplemental dietary tamarind could decrease serum cholesterol concentrations and increase layer performance.