Choline is a small-molecular organic compound being essential to maintain the normal biological functions of animals and poultries. It is also the component of some important bio-active substances, such as lecithin and acetyl choline. Chloride, being paid more and more attention, is widely used as feed additive in the form of choline chloride.

Research on the Application of Choline Chloride

1. The role of choline in the organic metabolism and the growth of animals and poultries, as well as the relationships among choline, methionine, and betaine.

Choline is a strong-base quaternary ammonium hydroxide. Choline chloride is the hydrochloride of choline, whose water solution shows weak-acid.

1.1 Relationships among choline, methionine, and betaine
Methionine is an essential amino acid. Betaine, also called Tri-methyl ammonioacetate, is an effective methyl donator.
1) All of them can provide unsteady methyl playing an important role in many metabolisms.
2) Betaine is the intermediate of Choline being a methyl donator．Betaine inverted from Choline transfers methyl to homocysteine to synthesize methionine.
3) Choline and betaine can not replace of methionine to use in protein synthesis. However, in dietary feedstuff seriously lack of Choline, betaine may protect methionine from being used as methyl donator, and the savage of methionine will promote growth.
2. Research on the application of choline chloride in feed additives
2.1 Evaluation of choline chloride availability
Research shows that the rate of biological utilization of choline in feedstuff materials is fairly low. Therefore, choline is generally added to dietary feedstuff in the form of choline chloride. In order to reduce the cost, relative low prices of choline chloride and betaine can be added to the dietary feedstuff of broilers to replace of part methionine. This has obtained good effects on the aspects of production performance and economical efficiency.
Betaine, the methyl donator intermediate of choline, has been widely used in aquaculture industry as a nutrient additive and food attractant. Research shows that betaine has significant promotion in the growth of common carps such as Cyprinus carpio, and reduction of the liver steatosis of grass carps such as Ctenopharyngodon idellus. Meanwhile, betaine has significant food-attracting response, thus it can shorten intake time and improve feedstuff transferring rate.
Choline firstly has been separated from pig bile at the end of 1940s and has been proved its good prevention effect in limb expansion of pigs.
2.2 Research on the carriers of choline chloride and the methods of anti-moisture adsorption and anti-caking
In feedstuff industry, choline is directly added in choline chloride water-soluble solution form or absorbed in carriers to feedstuff. For choline chloride is the hydrochloride of choline, whose molecular has polarity, thus it is extremely easy to absorb moisture, which brings somewhat difficulties to production, processing, storage, and feeding.
Generally, choline chloride is mainly available in dust produced by even-absorbing choline chloride water solution in a certain carrier and drying. Therefore, the choice of carriers has important effect on anti-moisture and anti-caking in the production.
The carriers of choline chloride have various species, mainly silicon dioxide and botanical materials. They can be roughly divided into three types: agro-byproducts, natural minerals, and artificial synthetic compounds. Agro-byproducts mainly include wheat bran, corn grits powder, corn stalk powder, rice husk powder, peanut hull powder, starchy residue of tuberous species, etc. Natural minerals mainly include boiling stone, bentonite, sepiolite, and expanded pearlite, etc. Artificial synthesis material is mainly hydrazine silicic acid.
To solve the moisture absorption and blocking problems of choline chloride, relative researches have been conducted on carrier choice and anti-caking agents' addition.
General requirements in the choice of carrier
1) Rough carrier surface
The carrier surface should be rough, so as to be suitable for the package of choline chloride and reduction of contact with external.
2) Moderate mesh size and apparent density
The carrier should have moderate mesh size and apparent density in order to avoid uneven blending and graded sediment in use, and be suitable for package.
The mesh size is generally in the range of 60-80 meshes and the apparent density is generally in the range of 0.3-0.5 g/mL.
3) Stable chemical property and moderate acid-base degree
4) They should contain fairly low water content, and they own are not easy to absorb moisture and block.
The anti-caking agent of choline chloride has been developed successfully. For example, glycerol triacetate can form a moisture-absorbing layer in choline chloride surface to block the contact of choline chloride with moisten air.

As a professional choline chloride manufacturer in China, since its foundation in 1996, Healthy Husbandry Sci-tech Company is being engaged in the production of animal feed additive. We aim at providing the best animal feed additive for both domestic customers and international customers. Reliable quality and competitive price make our betaine hydrochloride, betaine HCL, betaine, and trimethylamine hydrochloride be popular with customers in Germany, Britain, Belgium, Guatemala, Brazil, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, Australia, etc.
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