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Choline Deficiency and Synthesis of Choline from Precursors in Mature Japanese Quail^1,2,

Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99163

An uncomplicated choline deficiency in mature animals is rare. The purpose of these studies was to characterize such deficiency in mature Japanese female quail. Significantly decreased oviposition rate, egg weight and hatchability were observed when quail were fed a casein-gelatin purified diet without choline supplementation. Size in relation to body weight, dry matter and lipid content of the liver increased significantly in a deficiency while liver choline content decreased. Blood serum lipid levels nearly doubled in the deficient state and dry matter and choline content of egg decreased. The choline requirement for prevention of all deficiency signs in the quail was between 1045 and 2090 mg/kg. Inability of the quail to synthesize adequate choline was not due to a lack of methyl groups in the diet, because supplemental betain failed to modify the deficiency. Dietary monomethylaminoethanol and dimethylaminoethanol, but not aminoethanol, were as effective as choline for increasing egg weight. The mature Japanese quail is an excellent animal for investigating the metabolism and functioning of choline because a simple choline deficiency can readily be developed in this species uncomplicated by growth rate (diminishing requirement) and other nutritional deficiency such as methionine, folic acid and vitamin B₁₂.

KEY WORDS: • choline • Japanese quail • reproduction

¹ Scientific paper No. 3754, College of Agriculture, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99163. Project no. 1870 and 1985.

² Supported in part by Public Health Service Grant no. AM 10298 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases.

³ Present address: Department of Poultry Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43200.

Manuscript received 15 October 1971.