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1. The study aimed to investigate the effect of lysolecithin supplementation in low-energy diets on growth, nutrient digestibility and intestinal mucosa characteristics of broilers. 2. A total of 800 one-d-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned to 4 dietary treatments consisting of 10 replicates of 20 broilers each. Broilers were fed with 4 different diets: (i) HE: positive control group broilers received a diet with unaltered energy; (ii) LE: negative control group broilers received a diet with lower energy of about 0.27 MJ/kg; (iii) LElys500: broilers received a diet similar to LE supplemented with 500 g/tn lysolecithin product (Lysoforte Booster Dry TM ); and (iv) LElys300: broilers received a diet similar to LE supplemented with 300 g/tn lysolecithin product. The experimental period was 42 d. 3. Body weight gain in treatments HE was higher than LE during the overall experimental period, while LElys500 and LElys300 had intermediate values. Feed conversion ratio was lower in HE and LElys500 than LE group, while the LElys300 had intermediate values. Fat digestibility was improved in both LElys 500 and LElys300 compared to the HE group. Apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn) was higher in HE, LElys500 and LElys300 than LE. Ileum viscosity at 42 d was also affected, being higher in LE group compared to HE. At 28 d mucosal thickness was lower both in LElys500 and LElys300 compared to HE and LE, while no difference occurred between treatment proliferation patterns of duodenal epithelial cells. 4. These findings indicated that lysolecithin supplementation at 500 g/tn of feed in low-energy diets maintained broiler performance. Supplementation of reformulated low-energy diets induced an increase in digesta viscosity. Lysolecithin supplementation resulted in variable alterations in the duodenum mucosal morphology.

The present study assessed the effect of separate reduction of each energy-delivering nutrient - protein, fat and carbohydrate - on glucose tolerance and insulin response in a strict carnivore: the domestic cat (Felis catus). Three isoenergetic, home-made diets with the following energetic distribution, low protein (LP): protein 28 % of metabolisable energy; fat 43 %; nitrogen-free extract 29 %; low fat: 47, 27 and 25 %; low carbohydrate (LC): 45, 48 and 7 %, were tested in a 3 x 3 Latin square design. Nine healthy normal-weight cats were randomly assigned to each of the diets in a random order at intervals of 3 weeks. At the end of each testing period, intravenous glucose tolerance tests were performed. Plasma glucose concentrations and area under the glucose curve showed no differences. Area under the insulin curve was lower when cats were fed the LP diet, and the second insulin peak tended to be delayed when the LC diet was fed. In contrast to other studies, in which energy sources were elevated instead of being reduced, the present trial contradicts the often suggested negative impact of carbohydrates on insulin sensitivity in carnivores, and shows that reducing the dietary carbohydrate content below common amounts for commercial foods evokes an insulin-resistant state, which can be explained by the cats' strict carnivorous nature. It even points to a negative effect of protein on insulin sensitivity, a finding that corresponds with the highly gluconeogenic nature of amino acids in strict carnivores.