This study aimed to study the role of PPARs on fat deposition in native crossbred chicken. We studied the growth, abdominal, subcutaneous, and intramuscular fat, and mRNA expression of PPARA and PPARG in adipose and muscle tissues of four chicken breeds (CH breed (100% Thai native chicken), KM1 (50% CH background), KM2 (25% CH background), and broiler (BR)). The result shows that the BR chickens had higher abdominal fat than other breeds (p < 0.05) and the KM2 had an abdominal fat percentage higher than KM1 and CH respectively (p < 0.05). The intramuscular fat of BR was greater than KM1 and CH (p < 0.05). In adipose tissue, PPARA expression was different among the chicken breeds. However, there were breed differences in PPARG expression. Study of abdominal fat PPARG expression showed the BR breed, KM1, and KM2 breed significantly greater (p < 0.05) than CH. In 8 to 12 weeks of age, the PPARG expression of the CH breed is less than (p < 0.05) KM2. Crossbreeding improved the growth of the Thai native breed, there was also a corresponding increase in carcass fatness. However, there appears to be a relationship between PPARG expression and fat deposition traits. therefore, PPARG activity hypothesized to plays a key role in lipid accumulation by up-regulation.
Keywords: PPAR; Thai native crossbred chickens; fat deposition; gene expressions.