The effects of choline and inositol on hepatic lipid metabolism and the incidence of the fatty liver and kidney syndrome in broilers.

1. Diets high in wheat and low in protein (18%) produced 5 to 6% mortality from fatty liver and kidney syndrome (FLKS) in broiler chicks whereas there were no deaths from FLKS in birds fed on a maize/barley diet containing 20% protein. 2. Supplementation of the wheat-based diets with choline or inositol (2-5 g additive/kg diet) did not affect the incidence of FLKS or liver lipid metabolism. 3. The wheat-based diet did not significantly affect the activities of hepatic lipogenic enzymes suggesting that hepatic lipid biosynthesis is not a cause of the syndrome. 4. The biotin contents of the wheat and maize/barley diets were little different, which may suggest that factors other than this are implicated in FLKS.