ArticlePoultry science2024
ß-Hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate: A feed supplement influencing performance, bone metabolism, intestinal morphology, and muscle quality of laying hens: a preliminary one-point study.
Article in Poultry science, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of microalgae supplementation on performance, egg quality, yolk fatty acid levels, and blood parameters in laying hens: a meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of embryonic day and in ovo feeding of β‑hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate on hatching performance, organ development, and jejunal morphology in Japanese quail.Poultry science · 2026Article
- Evaluating the effects of dietary glutamine on bone geometry, mechanical properties, and mineral composition in laying quail.Poultry science · 2026Article
- Integrated metabolome and microbiome analysis deciphers the effects of resveratrol and β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyric acid on jejunal function under different protein levels in Tibetan sheep.Microbiology spectrum · 2026Article
- Dietary β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate supplementation improves intestinal health and growth performance in Tibetan sheep lambs via modulating small intestinal microbiota.Journal of animal science and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Effect of induced molting on bone remodeling in laying hens.BMC genomics · 2025Article
- Physiological Benefits, Applications, and Future Directions of β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate (HMB) in Food and Health Industries.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Laying hens, selectively bred for high egg production, often suffer from bone fragility and fractures, impacting their welfare and causing economic losses. Additionally, gut health and muscle quality are crucial for overall health and productivity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ß-Hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation on performance, bone metabolism, intestinal morphology, and muscle quality in laying hens. Forty-eight Bovans Brown hens were divided into a control group and an HMB-supplemented group (0.02% HMB in diet). The study spanned from the 31st to the 60th wk of age. Assessments included bone mechanical testing, serum hormonal analysis, histological analysis of bone and intestine, and muscle quality analysis. The HMB supplementation led to decreased feed intake without affecting body weight or laying rate in laying hens. It caused an increase in both mean daily and total egg weight, indicating improved feed utilization, without influencing the feed intake to egg weight ratio. Enhanced bone formation markers and altered intestinal morphometric parameters were observed, along with improved trabecular bone structure. However, no changes in measured other bone quality indices, including geometric, densitometric, or mechanical properties were observed. Muscle analysis revealed no significant changes in overall meat quality, except for a decrease in cholesterol content and alterations in the fatty acid profile, notably a reduction in total n-3 polyunsaturated and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). In conclusion, although not all effects of HMB supplementation were unequivocally beneficial, the positive changes in performance data and trabecular bone microarchitecture support further research into various doses and durations of supplementation. Such studies are necessary to fully understand and optimize the benefits of HMB for enhancing the health and productivity of laying hens.
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