Betaine

Betaine is more effective as a methyl group donor than methionine or choline, which are widely used in broiler and pig diets. Indeed, in order for synthetic choline chloride to acquire the properties of a methyl group donor, it must first be converted into betaine as a result of metabolism (Fig. 2). Therefore, although the minimum required levels of both choline and methionine must be provided in the feed to perform functions unrelated to methyl groups, adding betaine to the diet is more effective than adding choline chloride. When studying the mutual substitution of betaine and choline, it was found that in most cases, the use of choline chloride in the diet can be completely abandoned, since the endogenous choline contained in the raw material is usually sufficient to meet the needs of animals for it (without taking into account the need for methyl groups) … This has been shown in an experiment in Sweden on broilers fed a wheat-based diet. Replacing 0.03% choline with the same amount of Betaine did not affect the growth rate of the birds, but it did significantly improve feed conversion. A similar experience at the Instituto International de Investgacion Animal (Mexico) confirmed the results obtained using sorghum-based diets. Methionine should be added to the diet, although levels can be significantly reduced. A broiler study in Istanbul found that substituting Betaine for 20% of the total methionine in the diet and all added choline chloride in the corn-based diet did not show a significant reduction in performance compared to controls. Industrial feeding of poultry and pigs