CARNITINE IN BROILER CHICKEN - INFLUENCE OF L-CARNITINE AND DL-CARNITINE

The influence of L- (20 mg/kg feed) and DL-carnitine (200 mg/kg feed) on body weight gain, abdominal fat and carnitine content in certain ti ssues of 60 broiler chickens was examined. L- and DL-carnitine supplem entation was added to a diet with optimal lysine and methionine conten t as well as to a diet with decreased (20 % below optimum) content of lysine and methionine. L-carnitine supplementation of feed with optima l content of amino acids (AA) caused a 2.47 % increase of body weight, supplementation of feed with low AA-contents caused an increase of 3. 02 %. Feed with optimal AA-content caused 4.55 % higher body weight th an feed low in lysine and methionine. DL-carnitine caused a decrease o f body weight in the group with optimal AA-content as well as in the g roup with low AA-content in the feed. Carnitine content in the tissue was mostly significantly higher in the groups with L-carnitine and DL- carnitine supplementation. The highest values were found in the muscul us sartorius (422 mu mol/kg original substance without carnitine-suppl ementation; 1 093 mu mol/kg with L-carnitine-supplementation).