Saeid Amani - Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord Branch, Young Researchers Club, Shahrekord, Iran
Elham Yakhchali - Islamic Azad University, khorasgan, Young Researchers Club, Esfahan, Iran

Body fat of broiler chickens is one of the major concerns in poultry industry. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT-1) also known as carnitine is a rate-limiting enzyme of fatty acid oxidation in animals. The objective of the present study was to evaluation of L-Carnitine diet on CPT-1 gene expression of broiler chicks using Real-time PCR assay. 675 Ross male broiler chicks were randomly distributed into 45 pens and feeding with diets contain three levels of L-carnitine (0, 60 and 120 mg/kg-1). At the end of day 45 four chickens were selected randomly and tissue samples (liver, pectoral and thigh) were obtained from each bird. Total RNA was isolated from the tissue samples and reverse transcribed to cDNA using kit. After cDNA synthesis, CPT-1 gene expression in liver tissue, pectoral, and thigh muscle of broiler chicks were evaluated using Real-time PCR assay. The results of this study showed that liver had maximum expression of CPT-1 gene (2.09) in diet with 60 mg/kg-1 L-carnitine. In liver, pectoral and thigh tissues the diet contain 0 mg/kg-1 of L-carnitine show not any changes in activity of CPT-1 gene and 120 mg/kg-1 of L-carnitine had a low range of CPT-1 gene expression compared with 60 mg/kg-1 (P values <0.05). These findings indicated that the diet contains 60 mg/kg-1 of L-carnitine is useful for decrease of adipose and increase of protein content of the muscle tissues in broiler chicks.

L-carnitine, CPT-1 gene, Broiler chicks, Real-time PCR