Effects of Maternal Dietary Energy Restriction on Fat Deposition of Offspring

The study was carried out to investigate the effects of maternal dietary energy restriction on growth performance, serum indices and fat deposition of offspring. A total of 400 female Arbor Acres (AA) broiler breeders were studied. These female birds involved three experimental treatments and a control group with normal dietary energy diets (ND, 11.7 MJ of ME
• kg−1 during the laying). In treatments 2, 3 and 4, the energies of diets were 20%, 30% and 50% (LD20, LD30 and LD50) lower than those of the control, respectively. The study commenced at the beginning of the laying period when the total egg production reached 5% of the flock. All the broiler offspring were fed the same diets. The results showed that in low energy diets, offspring showed decreased 1-day-old weight, but 49-day-old weight was higher in LD20 diet (P<0.05). For offspring during days 1-49, the average daily gain (ADG) in LD20 group and the feed conversion ratio in LD50 group were improved as compared with those of the control (P<0.05). Compared with the control, abdominal fat percentage increased in 49-day-old offspring from LD30 diet (P<0.05); the fat content of breast muscle in offspring increased in broilers fed low energy diets (P<0.05). In 28-day-old offspring from breeders given LD20 and LD50 diets, liver fat percentages were higher compared with ND (P<0.05). The subcutaneous fat thickness in 28-day-old offspring from LD50 group and 49-day-old offspring from LD30 group was higher (P<0.05). On day 49, the serum cholesterol (CHO) of offspring from breeders fed LD20 diet and serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) of offspring from breeders fed LD50 diet reduced compared with those of the control (P<0.05). In addition, a higher triiodothyronine (T3) content in serum was found in offspring from broiler breeders given LD20 and LD30 diets (P<0.05). Serum thyroxine (T4) in offspring significantly decreased with the decrease of diet energy (P<0.05). In conclusion, to a certain extent, dietary energy restriction in breeders could improve growth performance and promote lipid metabolism of offspring.