Abstract
Simple SummaryCholesterol is an important lipid substance in organisms. As the precursor of bile acid, steroid hormones and vitamin D3, cholesterol plays important roles in lipid metabolism. Chicken is among the most consumed meat products worldwide; however, its cholesterol level is higher than that of other meat products. High cholesterol in a human diet will increase the risk of atherosclerosis. In addition, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is susceptible to be oxidized, which will cause the death of broilers. Therefore, it is of great significance to enhance the antioxidant capacity and improve cholesterol metabolism in broiler chickens. Bamboo leaf extract (BLE) contains active ingredients such as flavonoids, polyphenols, and active polysaccharides, which possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and lipid-lowering effects. Our results show that supplementation of BLE in the basal diet improved growth and slaughter performance, antioxidant status and cholesterol metabolism in broilers. Therefore, the application of BLE as a feed additive has a certain economic value. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary bamboo leaf extract (BLE) on antioxidant status and cholesterol metabolism in broilers. One-day-old male Arbor Acres (576) broilers were randomly divided into six groups. A control group was fed a basal diet, while five experimental groups were supplemented with 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0g BLE per kg feed in their basal diets. The result indicated that BLE supplementation linearly improved eviscerated yield and decreased abdominal fat (p < 0.05). A significant decrease of serum triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) content was observed with BLE supplementation (p < 0.05). BLE supplementation linearly improved the total antioxidant capacity and catalase activity in both serum and liver (p < 0.05). Glutathione peroxidase was quadratically increased in serum and linearly increased in the liver with BLE supplementation (p < 0.05). The malonaldehyde content in liver showed a linear and quadratic decrease with BLE supplementation (p < 0.05). BLE supplementation up-regulated the mRNA expression of cholesterol 7- alpha hydroxylase and low-density lipoprotein receptor and downregulated 3-hydroxy3-methyl glutamates coenzyme A reductase mRNA expression in the liver. The antioxidant enzyme mRNA expressions were all up-regulated by BLE supplementation in the liver. In conclusion, supplemental BLE improved antioxidant status and cholesterol metabolism in broilers, which eventually led to a decrease of serum TG, LDL-c content, and abdominal fat deposition.
Highlights
In the past few decades, the proportion of animal products in the human diet has increased considerably, and the high cholesterol content in animal products has attracted great interest of researchers [1,2]
Atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease will happen because hypercholesterolemia is one of the major factors leading to these diseases [4]
If there is a large amount of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in chicken serum, LDL-c will react with oxidizing substance, and the oxidized LDL-c will be produced [8]
Summary
In the past few decades, the proportion of animal products in the human diet has increased considerably, and the high cholesterol content in animal products has attracted great interest of researchers [1,2]. While the oxidized LDL-c is highly poisonous to the cells, it will cause damage to endothelial cells and accelerate the platelet adhesion and aggregation, release growth factors, cause hyperplasia of fibroblasts and organization, and eventually speed up the development of atherosclerosis [9,10]. As a result, it will cause sudden death of broilers and lead to economic losses. It becomes a hot research topic and solutions need to be further explored for enhancing antioxidant status and improving cholesterol metabolism in poultry production
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