Modulating Laying Hens Productivity and Immune Performance in Response to Oxidative Stress Induced by E. coli Challenge Using Dietary Propolis Supplementation.

Ahmed O Abbas,Hossam S El-Beltagi,Abdulaziz A Alaqil,Nancy N Kamel,Hanaa K Abd El-Atty

doi:10.3390/antiox9090893

Ahmed O Abbas, Hossam S El-Beltagi + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9090893

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Abstract

Propolis (PR) is a resin product of bee colonies that has rich bioactive antioxidant and bactericidal compounds. Endotoxin, a byproduct of bacterial growth, is reported to cause progressive induction of endogenous oxidative stress and has negative impacts on individual health and wellbeing. Hereby, we investigated the ability of PR to alleviate the oxidative stress and immunosuppression imposed by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli using laying hen as a based model. In this study, PR was dietary supplemented to hens for 4 weeks at a concentration of 0.1%. At the beginning of the 4th week of the experiment, hens from control and PR treatment were injected with E. coli (O157:H7; 107 colonies/hen) or saline. The results showed significant (p < 0.05) negative impact of E. coli challenge on antioxidant status, immune response and productive performance. PR supplementation reduced (p < 0.05) inflammation markers levels (tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β)) and plasma corticosterone concentration. The antioxidant status was ameliorated with dietary PR supplementation to challenged hens, showing significant (p < 0.05) reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and increasing total antioxidant capacity (TAC) concentrations. Cell mediated, as well as, humeral immune response improved significantly (p < 0.05) with dietary PR verified by the enhancement of T- and B-lymphocyte proliferation and the positive respond to phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Leucocyte cells viability increased significantly and the apoptotic factor forkhead box O3 (Foxo3) was reduced with PR supplementation. The current study revealed that dietary PR supplementation can effectively be used as an organic feed additive to overcome the endogenous oxidative stress induced by endotoxins challenge.

Highlights

Oxidative stress has become a major concern as a life threatening and a chronic-disease mediator [1,2,3]
Productive performance of laying hens was influenced by E. coli challenge and dietary PR supplementation (Table 1)
Dietary PR supplementation was able to (p < 0.05) reduce the negative impact of E. coli challenge on egg number, egg weight and feed intake by 20%, 7% and 18%, respectively, compared to the laying hens fed on basal diet and challenged with E. coli

Summary

Introduction

Oxidative stress has become a major concern as a life threatening and a chronic-disease mediator [1,2,3]. The excessive production of such ROS and RNS induces oxidative stress, homeostasis imbalance and subsequent pathological conditions [4]. Bacterial infection activates immune cells and induces inflammation, which is considered as being responsible for endogenous free radical production [5]. T helper cell (Th1) mediates the immune system protection to specific pathogens by the secretion of different pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), lymphotoxin and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [6]. The excessive pro-inflammatory cytokines release and the excess formation of ROS/RNS induce uncontrolled tissue damage. Multidrug-resistance pathogens have become an increasing national and international concern [7,8,9]. Pollution due to the presence of antibiotic residues contributed to the increasing occurrence of multidrug-resistance microbes and increased abundance of antibiotic-resistance genes [12,13]

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