Naturally occurring compound could address poultry welfare and production issues

Chicken is one of the most widely eaten proteins in the world. The poultry industry contributes more than $41.8 billion to Georgia’s economy each year. The U.S. alone consumes 8 billion chickens per year and approximately 250 eggs per capita. With the help of modern breeding techniques, there has been a drastic increase in meat yield and egg production to help meet this high demand.

However, as chickens grow larger and produce more eggs, growth-related issues in broilers and laying hens have become more common. Researchers at the University of Georgia are finding ways to combat these issues, which can affect animal welfare and lead to production losses.

A recent journal article published in Poultry Science studied the effect of 20(S)-hydroxycholesterol, a naturally occurring bioactive compound, on satellite cell proliferation and differentiation of broilers and laying hens. Satellite cells are muscle-specific stem cells that are responsible for the post-hatch growth of skeletal muscles by increasing protein synthesis levels in muscle cells and resulting in muscle growth.

Led by Woo Kim and Yuguo Tompkins in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with Sandra Velleman, professor at The Ohio State University, the study examined the use of the compound to potentially improve both bone health and muscle growth.

“One of my biggest research focuses is bone health. I am working with broilers and laying hens,” said Kim, an associate professor in the UGA Department of Poultry Science. “With broilers, we genetically select for muscle growth, so there are bone issues, like lameness. My research aims to help the bone health in broilers and laying hens.”

The study found that 20S has a positive effect on bone health in birds.

“One of the things about bone is that minerals and vitamins are very important. It is rare that we have other bioactive compounds to stimulate bone health and bone development. One of the compounds we found is 20S, an oxidized cholesterol that is naturally occurring. Certain compounds, like 20S, have potential bioactive properties. We found the 20S actually stimulates bone cell growth and also modulates muscle growth in some cases,” Kim said.