Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of inulin. The in vitro assays demonstrated that the antioxidant activities of inulin, including the DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS scavenging activity and ferric reducing power, were weak and significantly lower than those of Vitamin C (P < 0.05). The influence of dietary supplementation with inulin on the antioxidant status of laying hens was evaluated with in vivo antioxidant assays. The results indicated that inulin supplementation quadratically improved the egg production rate of the laying hens (P < 0.01). The antioxidant enzyme activities in the serum, including SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px, and the total antioxidant capacity increased quadratically as inulin levels increased (P < 0.001). The levels of MDA in the serum decreased quadratically as inulin levels increased (P < 0.001). These findings suggest that inulin has the potential to improve the antioxidant status of laying hens.
Highlights
Free radicals are part of normal metabolites for many organisms, and a complex system of endogenous and exogenous antioxidant sources in the body are employed to mitigate the potential damage from free radicals [1]
DPPH radical scavenging activity is extensively used to assess the antioxidant capacity of biological samples
The results of the present study indicated that dietary supplementation with inulin (10, 15 and 20 g/kg) significantly enhanced (P
Summary
Free radicals are part of normal metabolites for many organisms, and a complex system of endogenous and exogenous antioxidant sources in the body are employed to mitigate the potential damage from free radicals [1]. Excessive free radicals affect animal performance, even resulting in the development of diseases [3]. Improving the antioxidant status of living animals is one of the primary methods for improving bird performance in the poultry production industry [4, 5]. Antioxidants are a class of chemical substances that reduce free radicals and inhibit oxidation directly or indirectly. Oxidative stress in the body may be alleviated by exogenous supplementation with antioxidants. Exploration of safe and natural antioxidants to resist oxidative stress has become a research hotspot in recent years
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