Developing fatty liver

The authors evaluated the effects of betaine supplementation on goose liver weight, liver/body weight, serum parameters and morphological changes.

Compared with the control and overfed groups, the geese that were fed the betaine diet showed increased liver weight and decreased abdominal adipose tissue weight compared with the overfeeding groups. Betaine treatment also significantly increased ChE, HDL, LDH and ALT levels. Decreased macrovesicular steatosis and increased microvesicular steatosis were observed in the betaine-treated group, and the lipid was well-distributed in the betaine supplement group. The expression of S14α mRNA in the livers of the betaine-treated geese was higher than that in the control or the overfed geese. The DNA methylation pattern in the S14α gene transcription start site may not be related to the expression of S14α transcript in response to betaine supplementation.

Su et al (2009). "The effects of dietary betaine supplementation on fatty liver performance, serum parameters, histological changes, methylation status and the mRNA expression level of Spot14[alpha] in Landes goose fatty liver." Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology. Epub May

Improved growth performance

120 female pigs were fed either a control commercial diet or the control diet supplemented with 2, 4 and 6% betaine for 31 days. Pigs fed betaine had:

- lower average daily feed intake (ADFI) (for 2% diet)
- higher average daily gain (ADG)
- lower feed conversion ratio (FCR)
- increased loin CIE a* (redness)
- higher loin shear force value
- decreased total blood cholesterol concentrations
- increased saturated fatty acid and decreased unsaturated fatty acid levels in muscle
- increased betaine concentrations in the loin muscle

It was concluded that dietary betaine supplementation of finishing pigs can improve growth performance, reduce blood cholesterol concentrations, and produce detectable betaine concentrations in the lion muscle.

Yang et al (2009). "Effects of dietary glycine betaine on growth and pork quality of finishing pigs." Asian-Australasion J Animal Sci 22(5): 706.