NUTRITIONAL AND OSMOREGULATORY FUNCTIONS OF BETAINE

Betaine, a donor of labile methyl groups, can spare choline and methio nine but cannot replace these compounds in poultry diets. Betaine is s ynthesized from choline by choline oxidase and it can donate methyl gr oups to homocysteine to form methionine. Physiologically, betaine is o ne of several compounds used by cells to regulate osmotic pressure. Am ong the potential benefits of its inclusion in poultry feeds are spari ng choline, carcass fat reduction and aiding cell osmoregulation. Some feed ingredients are natural sources of betaine per se. This review c onsiders the metabolism, functions and applications of betaine in poul try.