Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of
sorbose on feed consumption, egg production and size, and
cholesterol metabolism of laying hens. In Experiment 1, 87-wk-old laying hens (10 per treatment) were fed diets containing 0, 10, or 20%
sorbose for 4 wk. In a second experiment, 108-wk-old laying hens (eight per treatment) were fed a control diet, a diet with 10% added
sorbose, or the control diet with intake restricted to the level of
sorbose-treated hens for 4 wk. Feed consumption and egg production were recorded daily. Plasma and egg
cholesterol levels were determined at 0, 2, and 4 wk. Plasma and egg
very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) concentrations were determined after 4 wk. Egg production, feed intake, and
body weight gain were significantly reduced by dietary
sorbose. Egg and yolk weight and percentage yolk decreased in response to
sorbose.
Sorbose significantly reduced plasma
cholesterol and VLDL by approximately 50%, compared with the hens fed a control diet. Egg
cholesterol concentration (milligrams per gram of yolk) was significantly increased, although the reduction in yolk size resulted in similar total egg
cholesterol (milligrams per egg). Restricting feed intake of laying hens significantly lowered plasma
cholesterol, but not to levels comparable to that of
sorbose-treated hens. The data indicate that substantial reduction of plasma
cholesterol and VLDL by dietary
sorbose was not accompanied by reduced egg
cholesterol.