Comparative evaluation of betaine, herbal and synthetic choline chloride on blood biochemical and immunological indices of broilers fed methionine and cysteine deficient diets

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to comparatively evaluate the efficacy of betaine, herbal choline, and synthetic choline chloride on blood biochemical and immunological parameters of broilers fed methionine and cysteine deficient diets. Two hundred and forty day-old Vencobb-430Y broiler chicks were randomly allotted into four treatment groups with four replicates of 15 birds each for 42 days. The control group (T₀) received a nutritionally balanced diet per BIS 2024 standards, while treatment groups T₁, T₂, and T₃ were fed diets deficient in methionine and cysteine by 10% supplemented with herbal choline chloride (0.086%), betaine HCl (1 g/kg), and synthetic choline chloride (550 mg/kg), respectively. At 42 days, blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis including total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, ALT, AST, total protein, and blood glucose. Immune organs (thymus, bursa, and spleen) were weighed, and Newcastle disease antibody titers were measured. Results showed that betaine HCl supplementation (T₂) significantly reduced serum total cholesterol (118.72 mg/dL) compared to control (123.81 mg/dL) and other groups (p