Effects of Gallus epidermal growth factor on immune function and intestinal development in male broilers

Nowadays, broiler production is faced with great challenges due to intensive culture modes, and chickens are more susceptible to oxidative stress. Consequently, synthetic antioxidants have been used to reduce this process, but their use has shown potential health risks. Thus, the use of natural ingredients has been suggested as a strategy to prevent oxidative stress. This study investigated how dietary dried jujube fruit powder (DJFP) supplementation influences the growth performance, antioxidant stability, meat composition, and nutritional quality of Cobb broilers. A total of 360 unsexed broilers (1-day-old) were randomly assigned to treatments that varied in DJFP levels: a basal diet without DJFP (control) and diets supplemented with 50 g/kg DJFP (P1), 100 g/kg DJFP (P2), and 150 g/kg DJFP (P3), with 9 replicates per treatment (90 broilers/treatment or 10 broilers/replicate). The results demonstrated improvement in the growth performance of broilers in terms of body weight (BW), body weight gain (WG), average daily body weight gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) following dietary DJFP supplementation. In addition, the antioxidant stabilities in the DJFP-treated broilers were improved and inhibited the production of lipid oxidation products compared with the control, with those in the P2 group showing the most marked effect. Moreover, dietary DJFP supplementation significantly increased (p < 0.05) the activity of antioxidant enzymes in broilers. Furthermore, the breast meat of the broilers displayed an increased protein content with a simultaneous reduction in the fat content after DJFP treatment (p < 0.05). Essential amino acid levels were higher in the DJFP-supplemented groups (p < 0.05). The sum of saturated fatty acids was lower, and that of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and the polyunsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid ratio (PUFA/SFA) were higher in the DJFP-supplemented groups (p < 0.05). Together, these results indicate that up to 100 g/kg of dietary DJFP supplementation can enhance the growth performance and antioxidant capacity, meat composition, and amino acid and fatty acid composition in broiler breast meat. In conclusion, dietary DJFP supplementation is a healthy alternative to the use of synthetic antioxidants in broiler production, especially in regions rich in jujube resources.

Simple SummaryBroilers have unique physiological characteristics, no sweat glands and full of feathers, which makes it difficult to dissipate heat in high-temperature environments and is prone to heat stress (HS). HS has strong adverse effects on the meat production, growth performance, intestinal morphology, mortality and welfare of broilers, which can be alleviated by nutrition regulation. Resveratrol has been found to reduce the damage of HS on meat quality, immune and inflammatory response of broilers. However, there are few reports on the effects of resveratrol on the intestinal development and antioxidant capacity of broilers under HS. We demonstrated that resveratrol could improve the intestinal development and growth performance of broilers under HS. Besides, these findings suggest that resveratrol may offer an effective nutritional strategy to improve intestinal antioxidant function by regulating the expression of critical factors in the Nrf2 signaling pathway.The study investigated resveratrol’s effect on growth performance, intestinal development, and antioxidant capacity of broilers subjected to heat stress (HS). A total of 162 21-day-old male AA broilers were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups with 6 replicates of 9 birds each. The 3 treatment groups were as follows: the control (CON), in which broilers were housed at 22 ± 1 °C for 24 h day−1, and the HS and HS + resveratrol (400 mg/kg) groups, in which broilers were housed at 33 ± 1 °C for 10 h a day from 8:00 to 18:00 and 22 ± 1 °C for rest of the time. Results indicated that birds in the HS group exhibited lower (p < 0.05) final body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) compared with birds in the CON group. HS birds also had lower (p < 0.05) relative jejunum weight, relative ileum and jejunum length, jejunal villus height, and villus height to crypt depth ratios than the CON group. The activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the mRNA levels of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), SOD1, and GPX were also lower (p < 0.05) in the HS than CON group. The HS group had higher (p < 0.05) protein carbonyl (PC) contents and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) mRNA levels. Compared with HS group, the HS + resveratrol group exhibited higher (p < 0.05) BW and ADG, relative jejunum weight, relative length of ileum, jejunal villus height, activities of GPX and GST, and mRNA levels of Nrf2 and SOD1, but they had lower (p < 0.05) PC content and Keap1 mRNA levels. In conclusion, resveratrol can improve the intestinal development and antioxidant function of broilers under HS, and therefore improve growth performance. The mechanism by which resveratrol enhances the intestinal antioxidant capacity is mediated by Nrf2 signaling pathway.

This study investigated the effects of different doses of rutin on the growth performance, immunity, intestinal barrier, and antioxidant capacity of broilers. A total of two hundred and fifty-six 1-day-old male broilers were divided into 4 groups and fed basal diets supplemented with 0 (control group), 250, 500 and 1,000 mg rutin/kg, respectively, for 42 days. In the starter period (days 1–21) and whole trial period (days 1–42), broilers fed diets containing 500 mg rutin/kg had significantly (p < 0.05) higher average daily feed intake, body weight and average daily gain and better feed conversion ratio. Dietary 500 mg rutin/kg increased the villus height, villus height to crypt depth ratio and villus area, while reducing the B cell lymphoma 2 associated X mRNA expression (p < 0.05). Dietary 500 mg rutin/kg increased the level of IgA in serum and decreased serum tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) content, and the nuclear factor kappa-B, interleukin-2 and TNF-α mRNA expression in jejunal mucosa (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, 500 and 1,000 mg rutin/kg significantly decreased serum diamine oxidase activity, D-lactic acid and lipopolysaccharide concentration, increased activities of total superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capacity in jejunal mucosa (p < 0.05), and upregulated mRNA expressions of genes related to intestinal barrier and antioxidant capacity in jejunal mucosa (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that dietary rutin, especially at 500 mg/kg, improves broilers’ growth performance, intestinal barrier function, immunity, and antioxidant capability, which may be related to the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. Highlights Dietary rutin improved growth performance, jejunal morphology, and intestinal barrier function. Dietary rutin enhanced the immunity via inhibiting NF-κB, and improved antioxidant capacity via activating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in broilers. The optimal dose of rutin was 500 mg/kg in broiler diet.

Effect of yeast cell wall on the growth performance and gut health of broilers challenged with aflatoxin B1 and necrotic enteritis

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum HW1 on growth performance, intestinal immune response, barrier function, and cecal microflora of broilers with necrotic enteritis. In total, 180 one-day-old male Cobb 500 broilers were randomly allocated into three groups comprising a non-infected control (NC) group, basal diet + necrotic enteritis challenge (NE) group, and basal diet + 4 × 106 CFU/g Lactobacillus plantarum HW1 + necrotic enteritis challenge (HW1) group. Broilers in the NE and HW1 groups were orally given sporulated coccidian oocysts at day 14 and Clostridium perfringens from days 19 to 21. The results showed that the HW1 treatment increased (p < 0.05) the average daily gain of broilers from days 15 to 28 and from days 0 to 28 compared with the NE group. Moreover, the HW1 treatment decreased (p < 0.05) the oocysts per gram of excreta, intestinal lesion scores, ileal interleukin (IL) 1β and tumor necrosis factor α levels, and serum D-lactic acid and diamine oxidase levels, while increasing (p < 0.05) the ileal IL-10 level, thymus index, and protein expressions of ileal occludin and ZO-1. Additionally, the HW1 treatment decreased (p < 0.05) the jejunal and ileal villus height, jejunal villus height/crypt depth value, and cecal harmful bacterial counts (Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus), and increased (p < 0.05) the cecal Lactobacillus count. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 4 × 106 CFU/g Lactobacillus plantarum HW1 could relieve necrotic enteritis infection-induced intestinal injury and improve growth performance in broilers by improving intestinal barrier function and regulating intestinal microbiology.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of palygorskite (PAL) as an alternative to antibiotic on the growth performance, oxidative status, immune function, intestinal barrier and cecal microbial community of broilers. A total of 360 1-day-old male Ross-308 broilers were randomly allotted to three treatments with eight replicates. Broilers in the three groups were designated as follows: basal diet (CON group), basal diet+50 mg/kg chlorotetracycline (ANT group), and basal diet+ 10 g/kg PAL (PAL group). Supplementing PAL reduced feed to gain ratio in broilers during 22 to 42 days of age (P < 0.05), with its value being similar to that of the ANT group (P > 0.05). Broilers fed a PAL-supplemented diet exerted decreased contents of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-1β in serum, and the same reduction was found in jejunal IFN-γ level, when compared to the CON group (P < 0.05). Moreover, compared with the CON group, broilers after PAL treatment had a lower malondialdehyde content in jejunal mucosa (P < 0.05). Supplementing PAL elevated jejunal villus height (VH) and ratio of VH to crypt depth compared with the ANT group (P < 0.05). Cecal microbiota communities among the three groups were significant different, as demonstrated by distinct clusters from partial least squares discriminant analysis, although dietary treatments had no significant effects on the bacterial richness and diversity indices (P > 0.05). At genus level, the addition of PAL increased the relative abundance of norank_f__Barnesiellaceae and decreased that of unclassified_f__Oscillospiraceae in cecal digesta compared with those in the CON group (P < 0.05); the proportion of genus norank_f__Barnesiellaceae was increased by PAL treatment when compared with the ANT group (P < 0.05). Moreover, spearman's correlations showed that the modulation of cecal microflora composition by PAL supplementation was closely correlated with the promotion of growth performance (feed to gain ratio) and intestinal health-related (contents of malondialdehyde and IFN-γ, and VH value in jejunum) variables of broilers (P < 0.05). Taken together, dietary PAL could improve the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and immune status, as well as intestinal barrier function in broilers, which might be partially associated with the alteration of cecal microbiota. Moreover, dietary PAL may be a promising alternative to antibiotic growth promoter for broilers.

Dietary supplementation of baicalein, a flavonoid, has anti-obesity effects in mammals and broiler chickens. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dietary baicalein supplementation on broiler growth and adipose tissue and breast muscle deposition. Fifty Hubbard × Cobb-500 day-of-hatch broiler chicks were assigned to a control starter diet or control diet supplemented with 125, 250, or 500 mg/kg baicalein and diets were fed for the first 6 days post-hatch. Body weight, average daily body weight gain, and average daily food intake were all reduced by 500 mg/kg baicalein. Breast muscle and subcutaneous and abdominal fat weights were also reduced in chicks that consumed the baicalein-supplemented diets. mRNAs for genes encoding factors involved in adipogenesis and fat storage, 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate-O-acyltransferase 2, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β, perilipin-1, and sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1, were more highly expressed in the adipose tissue of broilers supplemented with baicalein than the controls, independent of depot. Diacylglycerol acyltransferase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma mRNAs, involved in triacylglycerol synthesis and adipogenesis, respectively, were greater in subcutaneous than abdominal fat, which may contribute to differences in expansion rates of these depots. Results demonstrate effects of dietary supplementation of baicalein on growth performance in broilers during the early post-hatch stage and molecular effects in major adipose tissue depots. The mild reduction in food intake coupled to slowed rate of breast muscle and adipose tissue accumulation may serve as a strategy to modulate broiler growth and body composition to prevent metabolic and skeletal disorders later in life.

This study investigated the effects of synbiotics supplementation on growth performance, antioxidant status, immune function, and intestinal barrier function in broilers subjected to cyclic heat stress. One hundred and forty-four 22-day-old male broilers were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups of six replicates each for a 21-day study, with eight birds per replicate. Broilers in the control group were reared at a thermoneutral temperature and received a basal diet. Broilers in the other two heat-stressed groups were fed a basal diet supplemented without (heat-stressed group) and with 1.5g/kg synbiotic (synbiotic group). One and a half gram of the synbiotic consisted with 3 × 109 colony forming units (CFU) Clostridium butyricum, 1.5 × 109CFU Bacillus licheniformis, 4.5 × 1010CFU Bacillus subtilis, 600mg yeast cell wall, and 150mg xylooligosaccharide. Compared with the control group, heat stress increased rectal temperatures at 28, 35, and 42days of age, respectively (P < 0.05). Birds subjected to heat stress had reduced weight gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency during 22 to 42days (P < 0.05). In contrast, supplementation with the synbiotic decreased rectal temperature at 42days of age and elevated weight gain of heat stress-challenged broilers (P < 0.05). Heat-stressed broilers exhibited a lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in jejunal mucosa and a higher malondialdehyde accumulation in serum, liver and jejunal mucosa (P < 0.05), and the regressive SOD activity was normalized to control level when supplementing synbiotic (P < 0.05). Heat stress increased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels in serum and IL-1β content in jejunal mucosa of broilers (P < 0.05). Synbiotic reduced IL-1β level in serum of broilers subjected to heat stress (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, elevated serum diamine oxidase activity and reduced jejunal villus height were observed in broilers of the heat-stressed group (P < 0.05), and the values of these two parameters in the synbiotic group were intermediate (P > 0.05). Heat stress upregulated mRNA abundance of IL-1β and IFN-γ and downregulated gene expression levels of occluding and zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1) in jejunal mucosa of broilers (P < 0.05). The alterations in the mRNA expression levels of jejunal IL-1β and ZO-1 were reversed by the synbiotic (P > 0.05). In conclusion, dietary synbiotics could improve growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and intestinal barrier function in heat-stressed broilers.

Simple Summary1,8-cineole is a cyclic monoterpene compound, which can be extracted from plants or synthesized artificially. Dietary supplementation with plant essential oil containing 1,8-cineole can improve the performance of broiler chickens. However, limited literature exists on the supplementation of purified 1,8-cineole in diets for broiler chickens under normal conditions without stress challenging. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of purified 1,8-cineole on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immunity, and intestinal health of broilers and its optimal dose in the diets. The results showed dietary supplementation of 1,8-cineole had positive effects on broilers.This study was conducted to investigate the effects of 1,8-cineole on antioxidant capacity, immunity, and intestinal health of broilers. A total of 540 1-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) male broilers were randomly divided into five treatments with six replicates per treatment, and 18 broilers per replicate for 42 days. Dietary treatments were a corn–soybean meal basal diet supplemented with 0, and 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/kg 1,8-cineole, respectively. Dietary supplementation with 20~30 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased the ADG from d 22 to 42 and d 1 to 42 (p < 0.05), and decreased the FCR (p < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of 10~40 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) in serum (p < 0.05), and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the liver on day 21 (p < 0.05). The supplementation of 20~30 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in the serum and liver and TAOC in the serum and the liver (p < 0.05), and decreased the level of MDA in the serum and the liver (p < 0.05) on day 42. Dietary supplementation with 20~30 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased serum immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin M contents on day 21 (p < 0.05). On day 21, dietary supplementation of 20~30 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased the VH and VH/CD (p < 0.05) in the jejunum and ileum. The supplementation of 20~30 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased the content of secretory immunoglobulin A in the duodenum and ileum mucosa on d 42 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 1,8-cineole improves the growth performance of broilers by enhancing antioxidant capacity, immunity, and intestinal morphology.

SUMMARY Arginine (Arg) is one of the metabolically versatile essential amino acids. Dietary supplementation with Arg has been shown to stimulate the secretion of insulin-like growth factor while improving growth performance and feed efficiency in broilers. In addition to its role in protein synthesis, Arg is also a precursor of nitric oxide, creatine, and polyamines. It also modulates lipid metabolism by reducing total body fat accumulation to improve meat quality and antioxidant defence. Moreover, it is considered as an essential amino acid for chicks due to the absence of a functional urea cycle in birds at an early age. Arginine plays a crucial role in metabolic pathways associated with immune-competence and growth. Dietary supplementation of Arg at 12 to 15 g/kg of diet resulted in linear increase in body weight gain from 7.5 to 17% in broilers fed soybean meal-based diets. Arg acts as a key vasodilator that opposes the onset of pulmonary hypertension in broilers and is particularly beneficial under high altitude and hypoxia conditions. Dietary Arg supplementation reduces ascites-related mortality under low ambient temperatures and attenuates adverse effects of heat stress and high stock density. Moreover, in ovo feeding of Arg increased levels of secretory immunoglobulin A revealing its potential to modulate immune barrier function leading to enhanced overall immunity and intestinal health of birds. The NRC recommended levels of Arg are 1.25%, 1.10%, and 1.00% (of the broiler diet from 1–3, 4–6 and 7–8 weeks, respectively). However, other studies have reported 101, 103 and 107% of NRC recommendation of Arg for maximum feed efficiency, growth performance, and optimal immune function, from 1–3, 4–6 and 7–8 weeks, respectively, under thermoneutral conditions. This review provides insights into the optimal supplementation of Arg above NRC recommendations to improve growth performance, meat quality, and immunity of broilers.

Mechanisms of the effects of turpiniae folium extract on growth performance, immunity, antioxidant activity and intestinal barrier function in LPS-challenged broilers.

To investigate the effects of dietary betaine supplementation on the growth performance, digestive function, intestinal integrity, immunity, and antioxidant capacity of yellow-feathered broilers, a total of 400 one-day-old female yellow-feathered broilers were randomly allocated into 5 dietary treatments with 8 replicates of 10 chicks each, and fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control group), 125, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg betaine for 74 days, respectively. During the 1–37 days and 1–74 days, betaine linearly increased (p < .05) average daily gain, and decreased (p < .05) daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio. At 37 days, betaine linearly increased (p < .05) the apparent utilisation of crude protein, dry matter, and ether extract, jejunal digesta amylase and trypsin activities, villus height of jejunum and ileum, and ileal secretory immunoglobulin A content, glutathione peroxidase activity, and claudin-1 mRNA abundance, and linearly decreased (p < .05) serum D-lactate content and diamine oxidase activity, jejunal malondialdehyde content and nuclear factor kappaB mRNA abundance, ileal toll-like receptor 4 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 mRNA abundance. At 74 days, betaine linearly increased (p < .05) pancreatic lipase activity, jejunal glutathione peroxidase activity, and ileal glutathione content, and linearly decreased (p < .05) serum diamine oxidase activity and ileal malondialdehyde content. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with betaine improved growth performance, digestive function, intestinal mucosal barrier integrity, immune function, and antioxidant capacity of yellow-feathered broilers, and its optimal dosage in this study is 1000 mg/kg. HIGHLIGHTS Betaine improved growth performance. Betaine increased digestive function. Betaine enhanced intestinal antioxidant capacity. Betaine improved intestinal integrity and barrier function. Betaine improved intestinal immunity.

Effects of black cumin seed (Nigella sativa L.), a probiotic, a prebiotic and a synbiotic on growth performance, immune response and blood characteristics of male broilers

Compound bioengineering protein supplementation improves intestinal health and growth performance of broilers

Effect of chestnut wood extract on performance, meat quality, antioxidant status, immune function, and cholesterol metabolism in broilers