Development of novel poultry farming technology based on suppression of bitter taste sensing system in chickens

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19KT0005
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 特設分野
• Research Field: Agricultural Resources for the Next Generation
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: Kawabata Fuminori 弘前大学, 農学生命科学部, 准教授 (40633342)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-07-17 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ニワトリ / 味覚 / 苦味 / 味覚受容体 / 飼料

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The impact of the livestock industry on the environmental burden is significant. In this study, we focused on poultry among livestock and aimed to conduct basic research on how to make poultry feed more diverse in order to build a sustainable poultry industry. We sought to uncover local resources that have not been utilized as a feed source due to poor palatability, and to create a pathway to convert previously unused resources into feed by controlling the bitterness perceived by chickens. This study revealed the detailed expression patterns of bitter taste receptors in chickens in taste cells and their distribution in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, we were able to identify components that cause bitterness in chickens, which should be taken into consideration when developing new feeds utilizing agricultural by-products.

Free Research Field

家畜生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ニワトリの飼料については、これまで数多くの飼養学的解析がなされてきた。しかし、味覚受容体の観点から飼料を評価した研究はほとんどなかった。嗜好性の悪いものはニワトリが食べないため、飼養学的解析の土俵にも上がることができない。本研究により、ニワトリが感じる苦味のメカニズムの一端が解明された。また、農副産物を新たに飼料化する際に気をつけるべき苦味成分を同定することができた。これらの成果が、農副産物をはじめとした様々な原料からニワトリが感じる苦味成分を除去する技術や、ニワトリの苦味受容体を抑制する技術の開発に繋がると期待された。