Tissue distribution of gossypol enantiomers in broilers fed various cottonseed meals

Plasma and tissue concentrations of total, (+)- and (-)-gossypol were deter mined in broilers feet cottonseed meals (CSM) from eight oil mills (five ex pander solvent, two expeller, and one direct solvent). Free gossypol in the meals ranged from 0.033 to 0.180%, and total gossypol ranged from 0.974 to 1.459%. The (+)-enantiomer of gossypol varied from 53.8 to 61.3% of total gossypol. Eight CSM diets containing 28% CSM and a soybean meal control die t were fed to 162 1-d-old male broiler chicks during a 3-wk starter period. Concentrations of free gossypol in the CSM diets ranged from 92 to 504 mug /g, and total gossypol ranged from 2,626 to 4,085 mug/g. All diets were for mulated with the same concentrations of digestible lysine and methionine an d were fed ad libitum. At 21 d of age, there were no significant difference s in body weights, feed conversions, or mortality of birds fed the CSM diet s when compared to birds fed the soybean meal diet. Concentrations of (+)- and (-)gossypol in plasma, liver, kidney, and muscle increased linearly as the level of free gossypol increased in the diets. Liver had the highest co ncentration of total gossypol (71.4 to 313.6 mug/g DM) followed by kidney ( 9.2 to 36.3 mug/g DM), plasma (3.0 to 14.6 mug/mL), and muscle (2.1 to 9.8 mug/g DM). The proportion of (-)-gossypol was higher in plasma (26.7%) and kidney (25.6%) than in muscle (19.1%) and liver (16.0%). Performance data f rom this study indicate CSM can be used successfully in chick starter diets at levels up to 28% when diets are formulated on a digestible amino acid b asis.