Mode of action of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) derivations in poultry: intestine–liver axis, immunity, and woody breast muscle disorder

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SUMMARY Broiler chickens have been accompanied with significant genetic modification to provide markets with higher quantities of meat. However, the modifications might negatively deregulate expression of responsible genes in the synthesis of ribonucleotide reductase with role of either DNA production or repairment of genes. Then, this deregulation reduces energy (ATP) production in muscular mitochondria, and enhances cell death. In subsequent, the normal procedures of cellular division, collagen generation, and vascular network development in the woody breast (WB) muscle will be disrupted and, this in turn, increases either fibrosis (tough meat) or fat accumulation in WB, loses its normal physical feature, nutritional value, and desirable taste for consumers. In order to deal with the issue, studies have offered several approaches to overcome the issue, one of the cheapest and practical strategies to address the issue is using nutritional strategies such as Silybum marianum. Silybum marianum contains silybin, fatty acids from omega family, and flavonoid as a kind of polyphenolic compound such as silymarin, which respectively might acclimatise the muscle metabolism, improve the mitochondrial reticulum, and enhance the ATP synthesis with the help of many intrusive factors alongside of the intestine–liver–muscle axis as well as the modulatory activities of immune cells and gut colonisation of beneficial bacteria. To sum up, each of this compounds existing in Silybum marianum and its derivations via different metabolic pathways might modulate either collagen or fat amounts in muscle to finally cope with muscle disorders such as WB myopathy without having other side effects.