Forsythia suspensa leaf fermented tea extracts attenuated oxidative stress in mice via the Ref-1/HIF-1α signal pathway and modulation of gut microbiota

Forsythia suspensa leaf fermented tea (FSLFT) is made from tender buds of Forsythia suspensa collected in spring. The main active components of FSLFT include forsythiaside, forsythia ester glycoside, rutin, and forsythia flavonoids, which have antibacterial, antioxidant, liver-protective, and immune-regulatory effects. Oxidative stress can trigger excessive apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells, leading to dysfunction of the small intestinal mucosa and impaired intestinal absorption. This study focused on Kunming mice as research subjects and used hydrogen peroxide as an inducer to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of FSLFT in vivo, as well as its regulatory effects on the intestinal microbiota of mice. The aim of this study was to establish a theoretical foundation for the functional study of Forsythia suspensa leaves and provide specific recommendations for their growth and application. The results showed that H2O2 treatment led to an increase in oxidative levels in mice. FSLFT has been shown to have antioxidant effects via the Redox Factor-1(Ref-1)/ hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) pathway, reduce inflammation caused by hydrogen peroxide through the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, and protect mouse colons from oxidative stress by repairing gut microbiota imbalance and increasing microbial diversity and abundance. These findings establish a theoretical basis for studying the functional properties of FSLFT.

Water deprivation in poultry in connection with transport to slaughter-a review

Poultry are deprived of water when transported to slaughter, beginning shortly prior to catching of the first bird and lasting through catching and loading, the journey on the vehicle, time spent in lairage, and up until time of death. Our aim was to review existing knowledge on variables which may be useful in determining the length of time that poultry may go without water in connection with transport before their welfare begins to deteriorate. During transport, it is likely that birds experience a motivation to drink, which may transition into the negative emotional state of thirst if water is unavailable. Determining when drinking motivation reaches a threshold where welfare is negatively impacted is challenging. In the absence of water, birds may over time experience dehydration which may be detected through physiological indicators as their body attempts to maintain homeostasis. In poultry, plasma osmolality, arginine vasotocin, and chloride have been suggested as being most suitable for assessing dehydration resulting from periods of water deprivation that correspond with typical transport durations, due to their particular sensitivity during this period. While initial dehydration may not be associated with negative emotional states, it is likely that it eventually leads to discomfort, but additional behavioral and motivational studies are necessary to infer when this begins. Impacts of thermal conditions, genetics, and the condition of the individual bird on the development of a dehydrated state were also assessed, though more information is needed to fully understand these interactions. With the available literature, this review concludes that total transport (i.e., from the initial deprivation from water until time of slaughter) durations of longer than 6 h are likely associated with measurable physiological indicators of dehydration and may potentially be associated with negative emotional states, although more research is needed to clarify this. Current available knowledge and assessment tools are not sufficient to detect the degradation of welfare derived from thirst itself, which should be further examined to protect poultry welfare during transport.

Effects of intermittent cold stimulation on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity and liver lipid metabolism in broiler chickens

Intermittent cold stimulation (ICS) enhances broilers' resistance to cold stress. Nonetheless, further research is needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms that enhance cold stress resistance. A total of 160 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly divided into 2 groups (CC and CS5), with the CC group managing temperature according to the standard for broiler growth stages, while the CS5 group were subjected to cold stimulation at a temperature 3℃ lower than the CC group for 5 h, every 2 d from 15 to 35 d. Sampling was conducted at 36 d (36D), 50 d (50D) and after acute cold stress for 24 h (Y24). First, we examined the effects of ICS on broiler growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and lipid metabolism. The results demonstrated that ICS enhanced the performance of broilers to a certain degree. Specifically, the average weight gain in the CS5 group was significantly higher than that of the CC group, and the feed conversion ratio significantly decreased compared to CC at 4 W and 6 W (P ≤ 0.05). Compared with the CC group, cold stimulation significantly reduced drip loss, shearing force, and yellowness (a* value) of chicken meat, while significantly increased redness (b* value) (P ≤ 0.05). At Y24, the levels of T-AOC and GSH-PX in the serum of the CS5 group were significantly higher than those of the CC group, while the level of MDA was significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05). The content of TG, FFA, and VLDL in the serum of the CS5 group was significantly elevated, whereas the level of TC and HDL was significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, we further explored whether AMPK-mTOR pathway is involved in the regulation of changes in lipid metabolism and the possible regulatory mechanisms downstream of the signaling pathway. The results showed that ICS significantly upregulated the expression levels of AMPK mRNA and protein in the liver of the CS5 group at 36D and Y24, while significantly down-regulating mTOR (P ≤ 0.05). Compared with the CC group, ICS significantly down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of lipid synthesis and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (SREBP1c, FAS, SCD, ACC, GRP78 and PERK) at 36D and Y24, while significantly up-regulating the mRNA expression levels of lipid decomposition and autophagy-related genes (PPAR and LC3) (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, at Y24, the protein expression levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (GRP78) in the CS5 group were significantly lower, while autophagy-related genes (LC3 and ATG7) were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05). ICS can affect meat quality and lipid metabolism in broilers, and when broilers are subjected to acute cold stress, broilers trained with cold stimulation have stronger lipid metabolism capacity.

Efficacy of creatine nitrate supplementation on redox status and mitochondrial function in pectoralis major muscle of preslaughter transported broilers

This study was purposed to investigate the efficacy of dietary creatine nitrate (CrN) supplementation on redox status and mitochondrial function in pectoralis major (PM) muscle of broilers that experienced preslaughter transport. A total of 288 Arbor Acres broilers (28-day-old) were randomly assigned into five dietary treatments, including a basal diet or the basal diet supplemented with 600 mg/kg guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), 300, 600, or 900 mg/kg CrN for 14 days, respectively. On the transportation day, the basal diet group was divided into two groups on average, resulting in six groups. The control group was transported for 0.5 h and the other groups for 3 h (identified as Control, T3h, GAA600, CrN300, CrN600, and CrN900 group, respectively), and all crates were randomly placed on the truck travelling at an average speed of 80 km/h. Our results showed that GAA600 and CrN treatments decreased the muscle ROS level and MDA content (P < 0.05) and increased the mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.001), as well as a higher mRNA expression of avUCP (P < 0.001) and lower mRNA expressions of Nrf2 (P < 0.001), Nrf2 and PGC-1α (P < 0.05) compared with T3h group. Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf1, TFAM, and PGC-1α in CrN600 and CrN900 groups were lower than those in the T3h group (P < 0.05). Conclusively, dietary supplementation with GAA and CrN decreased muscle oxidative products and enhanced mitochondrial uncoupling mechanism and mtDNA copy number, which relieved muscle oxidative damage and maintained mitochondrial function.

Dietary Se-Enriched Cardamine enshiensis Supplementation Alleviates Transport-Stress-Induced Body Weight Loss, Anti-Oxidative Capacity and Meat Quality Impairments of Broilers

The aim of this experiment was to explore the effects of a new selenium (Se) source from Se-enriched Cardamine enshiensis (SeCe) on body weight loss, anti-oxidative capacity and meat quality of broilers under transport stress. A total of 240 one-day-old ROSS 308 broilers were allotted into four treatments with six replicate cages and 10 birds per cage using a 2 × 2 factorial design. The four groups were as follows: (1) Na2SeO3-NTS group, dietary 0.3 mg/kg Se from Na2SeO3 without transport stress, (2) SeCe-NTS group, dietary 0.3 mg/kg Se from SeCe without transport stress, (3) Na2SeO3-TS group, dietary 0.3 mg/kg Se from Na2SeO3 with transport stress, and (4) SeCe-TS group, dietary 0.3 mg/kg Se from SeCe with transport stress. After a 42 d feeding period, the broilers were transported by a lorry or kept in the original cages for 3 h, respectively. The results showed that dietary SeCe supplementation alleviated transport-stress-induced body weight loss and hepatomegaly of the broilers compared with the broilers fed Na2SeO3 diets (p < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary SeCe supplementation increased the concentrations of plasma total protein and glucose, and decreased the activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase of the broilers under transport stress (p < 0.05). Dietary SeCe supplementation also enhanced the anti-oxidative capacity and meat quality in the breast and thigh muscles of the broilers under transport stress (p < 0.05). In summary, compared with Na2SeO3, dietary SeCe supplementation alleviates transport-stress-induced body weight loss, anti-oxidative capacity and meat quality impairments of broilers.

Dietary Forsythia suspensa extracts supplementation improves antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory functions, meat fatty acid deposition, and intestinal microbial community in finishing pigs

This study aimed to determine the effects of Forsythia suspensa extracts (FSE) on performance, antioxidant status, inflammatory cytokines, meat quality, meat fatty acid composition, and gut microbial community in finishing pigs. Sixty-four pigs [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire)] with an average initial body weight of 88.68 kg were randomly allotted to two dietary treatments, with eight replicate pens per treatment (four pens were barrows and four pens were gilts), four pigs per pen. The dietary treatments included a corn-soybean meal basal diet (CON) and an FS diet (basal diet + 100 mg/kg FSE; FS). Compared with CON, pigs fed FSE showed enhanced (P < 0.05) saturated fatty acid (SFA)/polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio, reduced (P < 0.05) lightness, and n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, as well as tended to increase C20:5n3 content in the longissimus dorsi muscle. Moreover, pigs fed FSE showed decreased (P < 0.05) serum cortisol and tumor nuclear factor-α contents, and increased (P < 0.05) serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase contents compared with CON. These pigs also tended to have increased serum total protein and immunoglobulin G contents, and decreased serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and interleukin-1β contents compared with CON. In the colon, pigs fed FSE had a higher (P < 0.05) relative abundance of Bifidobacteriales at the order level, Lactobacillaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae at the family level, as well as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium at the genus level compared with CON. In conclusion, dietary Forsythia suspensa extract supplementation effectively improved antioxidant status and anti-inflammatory functions, as well as modulated meat fatty acid composition, and gut microbial community in finishing pigs.

Dietary live yeast supplementation alleviates transport-stress-impaired meat quality of broilers through maintaining muscle energy metabolism and antioxidant status

BACKGROUND

This experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary live yeast (LY, 1 × 10¹⁰  CFU g^-1 ) supplementation on serum metabolic parameters, meat quality as well as antioxidant enzyme activity of transported broilers. A total of 192 one-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to four treatments with six replicates and eight chicks per replicate: a basal diet without transportation (CON), a basal diet containing 0 (T), 500 (T + LY₅₀₀ ) and 1000 mg kg^-1 (T + LY₁₀₀₀ ) LY with 3 h of transportation after feeding for 42 days, respectively. The serum and muscle samples of broilers were collected immediately after 3 h of transportation.

RESULTS

A higher (P < 0.05) final body weight and average daily weight gain were observed in T + LY₁₀₀₀ group compared with CON and T groups. The T + LY₁₀₀₀ group reduced (P < 0.05) the serum lactate contents and improved (P < 0.05) the pH_24h and decreased (P < 0.05) the drip loss in muscles of transported-broilers. Also, the T + LY₁₀₀₀ group enhanced (P < 0.05) the total-antioxidant capacity and reduced (P < 0.05) the malondialdehyde in serum and muscles. Besides, the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of avian uncoupling protein (avUCP) in muscles was down-regulated (P < 0.05) of T + LY₁₀₀₀ group compared with T group.

CONCLUSION

Dietary LY supplementation alleviates transport-stress-impaired meat quality of broilers through maintaining muscle energy metabolism and antioxidant status. Therefore, LY may serve as a potential protector for broilers under transport stress in the future. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Overexpression of Heat Shock Protein 70 Ameliorates Meat Quality of Broilers Subjected to Pre-Slaughter Transport at High Ambient Temperatures by Improving Energy Status of Pectoralis Major Muscle and Antioxidant Capacity

The induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) potentially mediates meat-quality development under stress conditions. To investigate the effects and mechanism of HSP70 on the meat quality of the pectoralis major (PM) muscles of broilers exposed to pre-slaughter transport, a total of 168 broilers were intraperitoneally injected with L-glutamine (Gln) or saline. Twenty-four hours later, broilers were subjected to transport or held under normal living conditions. The results indicated that acute Gln supplementation significantly increased HSP70 expression in the PM of transported broilers (p < 0.05). The overexpression of HSP70 significantly alleviated the decreases in muscle pH and water-holding capacity and improved the shrinking of muscle fibers induced by transport (p < 0.05). HSP70 induction increased ATP content, decreased the activities of glycolytic enzymes, and lowered the phosphorylation level of AMP-activated protein kinase in transported broilers (p < 0.05). In addition, the overexpression of HSP70 greatly increased total superoxide dismutase and the total antioxidant capability and decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species, malonaldehyde, and carbonyls in the PM of transported broilers (p < 0.05). Overall, this work indicated that HSP70 could effectively improve the meat quality of transported broilers by improving the energy status, inhibiting glycolytic influx, and restoring redox homeostasis.

Maternal Dietary Forsythia suspensa Extract Supplementation Induces Changes in Offspring Antioxidant Status, Inflammatory Responses, Intestinal Development, and Microbial Community of Sows

This experiment aims to investigate the effect of maternal diet supplemented with Forsythia suspensa extract (FSE) on the performance, antioxidant status, inflammatory responses, intestinal development, and microbial community of sows. A total of 24 gestating sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were assigned to 2 treatments with 12 sows per treatment. From d 107 of gestation to d 21 of lactation, sows were supplemented with a basal diet as control (CON) or an FSE diet (basal diet + 100 mg/kg FSE). Compared with CON, sows fed FSE showed lower (P &lt; 0.05) wean-to-estrus interval, body weight loss, and higher (P &lt; 0.05) average daily gain of suckling piglet. Sows fed FSE had reduced (P &lt; 0.05) serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content and enhanced (P &lt; 0.05) catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) contents at farrowing and weaning compared with CON. The suckling piglets of FSE-fed sows had increased (P &lt; 0.05) mRNA expressions of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2, heme oxygenase-1 in the liver, and lower (P &lt; 0.05) serum MDA content on d 0, 7, and 14 of lactation. Sows fed FSE had lower (P &lt; 0.05) serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) contents at farrowing and reduced (P &lt; 0.05) serum IL-6 and IL-8 contents at weaning compared with CON. Piglets from FSE-fed sows had enhanced (P ≤ 0.05) villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio in the jejunum, and higher (P &lt; 0.05) protein expression of Occludin in jejunal mucosa compared with CON. Sows fed FSE tended to have higher (P = 0.09) relative abundance of Lactobacillus at genus level in feces at weaning compared with CON. Our results showed maternal diet supplemented with FSE in lactating sows could effectively induce improvement of performance, antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory function, intestinal morphology, barrier function, and microbial community.

Herbal Plants Application in Organic Poultry Nutrition and Production

Background:

Medicinal plants and natural feed additives are the most important alternatives in animal production, especially broiler production, due to the ban on the use of certain antibiotics, their cost-effectiveness and harmful residual effects.

Objective:

In this mini-review article, some important medicinal herbs and plants with positive effects on organic broiler production have been highlighted.

Methods:

A literature search was conducted in Science Direct, Google, Google Scholar, Springer, Medline and PubMed.

Results:

Medicinal plants such as ginger, ginkgo, thyme, ponderosa pine, soybean, forsythia, peppermint, Chinese star anise, astragalus, mistletoe, schisandra, cumin, capsicum, garlic, hooker chives, artichoke, Borreria latifolia, zataria, pomegranate, turmeric, lingzhi, Lippia javanica, neem, oriental chaff flower, mulberry leaf, goji berry, Aloe vera, pumpkin, grape, common nettle, marigold, coriandrum, Citrus sinensis, Alisma canaliculatum, Persian hogweed, Eucommiaulmoides, bamboo leaf extract, rosemary, Morina citrifolia, chestnut, green tea, wild mint, clove, sumac, satureja, ashwagandha, Lonicera japonica, Acacia, liquorice, Artemisia annua, milk thistle, cinnamon, black cumin and etc. have positive effects on organic broiler production.

Conclusion:

Herbal medicines lead to increased body weight due to a higher feed intake and a higher feed conversion ratio, and improve antioxidant activity of broiler chickens based on their phenolic compound contents. The combination of medicinal herbal additives also has a positive impact on broiler production. In organic broiler production with the usage of herbal plants, reducing hormones, growth promoters and antibiotics should be organized as well as considering appropriate organic feed management and higher production.

Effects of transport time and feeding type on weight loss, meat quality and behavior of broilers

Objective

The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal time of transportation of floor-feed and scatter-feed broilers.

Methods

Eighty healthy Arbor Acres (AA) broilers (21-day-old, 624.4 g, male, standard error = 6.65) were selected and randomly divided into two experimental groups (floor-feed and scatter-feed), then fed for three weeks. The experiment comprised a 2×4 factorial design with 2 feed patterns (floor-feed and scatter-feed) and 4 transport periods (2, 3, 4, and 5 h), and 4 replicates of 5 broilers (54-day-old, 2243 g, standard error = 46.65) was used to compare weight loss, meat quality and behavior index of different groups.

Results

It appeared that drip loss, meat color and resting behavior of experimental broilers changed as length of transportation (p<0.05), however, weight loss and pH were not significantly transformed (p>0.05). Compared with floor-feed group, broilers in scatter-feed group had lower pH at 24 hours (3 h) and different behavioral indicators (p<0.05). Especially indicators after 3 h transportation, there were obvious differences between the two feeding modes in the behavior reaction of stress events before slaughter with different transport duration (p<0.05). The fluctuation of data on resting behavior with scatter-feed was significantly higher than that of floor-feed broilers. There was no interaction between transport time and different feeding methods for index tested of our experiment (p>0.05).

Conclusion

Comprehensive analysis showed that the maximum transport duration of floor-feed and scatter-feed broilers should not exceed 3 h, and scatter-feed broilers were more likely prone to fear.

Effect of the Eucalyptus viminalis leaf extract compound on the amino acid and fatty acid composition of broiler chicken meat

The article presents the results on evaluating the effect of the gamma-octalactone compound isolated from Eucalyptus viminalis leaf extract on the amino acid and fatty acid composition of protein and lipids of broiler chickens' muscle tissue. The object of the study was 7-day-old broiler chickens of the Arbor Acres cross. During the experiment, the control group poultry consumed the main diet (MD); the poultry of the experimental groups received the main diet plus gamma-octalactone at the following dose: group I – 0.05 ml/kg l.w./ day; II – 0.1 ml/kg l.w./ day; III – 0.2 ml/ kg l.w./day. It was found that the experimental compound's introduction into the diets significantly increases protein and fat content, as well as improves the balance of experimental groups' chicken meat for essential amino acids, as evidenced by a significant increase in the content of leucine and isoleucine - 2.27% (P≤0.01), valine - 0.8% (P≤0.05), phenylalanine 0.44 (P≤0.05) % in chickens of the experimental group III in relation to the control. With a relatively stable amount of saturated fatty acids in the experimental groups, compensation for insufficient synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids was observed by increased accumulation of monounsaturated fatty acids. However, despite the existing differences in the concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, no significant intergroup changes were observed.

Effects of dietary Forsythia suspensa extract supplementation to lactating sows and nursery pigs on post-weaning performance, antioxidant capacity, nutrient digestibility, immunoglobulins, and intestinal health

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dietary Forsythia suspensa extract (FSE) supplementation to lactating sows and nursery pigs on post-weaning performance, antioxidant capacity, immunoglobulins, and intestinal health. Based on backfat, body weight (BW), and parity, 24 gestating sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) with average parity of 3.38 ± 0.61 and BW of 234 ± 6.81 kg were allotted into two dietary treatments (control vs. 100 mg/kg FSE) with 12 sows per treatment from day 107 of gestation to day 21 of lactation. After weaning, based on the initial BW and source litter, 192 nursery pigs (Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire], average BW of 6.98 ± 0.32 kg, weaned at day 21) were allotted into four dietary treatments with eight replicate pens per treatment, six pigs per pen for a 4-wk study. The treatments included the following: 1) CC (sows and their piglets both fed control diet); 2) CF (sows fed control diet and their piglets fed FSE diet [containing 100 mg/kg FSE]); 3) FC (sows fed FSE diet and their piglets fed control diet); and 4) FF (sows and their piglets both fed FSE diet). The MIXED procedures of SAS for a split-plot arrangement with sow diet as the whole plot and nursery diet as split plot were used to analyze the data. After weaning, piglets from FSE-fed sows had improved (P < 0.05) average daily gain and feed efficiency, and lower (P < 0.05) diarrhea rate in overall (day 1 to 28) compared with those from sows fed control diet. Piglets from FSE-fed sows also had higher (P < 0.05) contents of immunoglobulin G (IgG), growth hormone, superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity in serum, villus height in ileum, and villus height to crypt depth ratio in jejunum, as well as lower (P < 0.05) content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and crypt depth in ileum compared with those from sows fed control diet. Piglets fed FSE during nursery had increased (P < 0.05) concentrations of IgG, SOD, and catalase, and decreased (P < 0.05) MDA and tumor nuclear factor-α levels in serum compared with those fed control diet during nursery. Piglets from FC group had increased (P < 0.05) protein expression of occludin in jejunal mucosa and relative abundance of Lactobacillus on genus level in colon compared with those from CC group. In conclusion, for the performance and intestinal health, diets supplemented with FSE during lactation phase seemed more efficient to alleviate weaning stress than the nursery phase. In terms of the antioxidant status and immunoglobulins, FSE supplemented in both phases were efficient for nursery pigs.

Effects of natural capsicum extract on growth performance, nutrient utilization, antioxidant status, immune function, and meat quality in broilers

This research was conducted to determine the effects of natural capsaicin extract (NCE) as an alternative to the antibiotic (chlortetracycline, CTC) on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and meat quality of broiler chickens. A total of 168 one-day-old Arbor Acre male broiler chickens with an average weight of 46.4 ± 0.6 g were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments, with 7 replicates per treatment and 8 broilers per pen. These 3 dietary treatments included a corn-soybean meal basal diet (CON), a basal diet + 75 mg/kg CTC (CTC), and a basal diet + 80 mg/kg NCE (NCE). Broilers from the NCE group showed higher average daily gain compared to broilers from the CON group at all stages (P < 0.05). On d 42, NCE supplementation improved dietary nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy compared to nonsupplemented or CTC-supplemented diets (P < 0.05). The digestibility of organic matter and crude protein were higher in the NCE diet than in the CON or CTC diets (P < 0.05). Higher relative weight of bursa of Fabricius was observed in broilers fed NCE diets compared with CON (P < 0.05). Pancreatic trypsin and lipase activities were significantly increased in the NCE group compared with those in the CON group (P < 0.05). The value of lightness (L*) of breast muscles from broilers fed NCE diets was significantly lower compared to those fed CON diets (P < 0.05). Broilers fed NCE diets also had higher levels of serum total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and lower levels of interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α compared with broilers fed CON diets (P < 0.05). The liver catalase activity of broilers was also significantly increased in the NCE group than the CON group (P < 0.05). In addition, broilers from NCE group had lower concentrations of serum urea-N, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol, and higher concentration of growth hormone compared with those from the CON group (P < 0.05). Therefore, we concluded that supplementation of 80 mg/kg of NCE in diets could improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant status, immune function, and meat quality in broilers.

Effects of chitosan oligosaccharides on meat quality, muscle energy metabolism and anti-oxidant status in broilers that have experienced transport stress

Context Pre-slaughter transport, exposed broilers to various stressors, which resulted in detrimental effects on animal welfare, live bodyweight loss, mortality and meat quality. There was growing interest to explore effective ways to reduce the stress response and improve meat quality of transported broilers by using dietary feed additives. Aims The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) on meat quality, muscle energy metabolism and anti-oxidant status of broilers having 3-h transport stress. Methods In total, of 144 35-day-old broilers were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments, including a basal diet (96 broilers), or basal diet supplemented with COS at 200 mg/kg (48 broilers). There were eight broilers per cage, and 12 replication cages in the basal diet group and six replication cages in the basal diet with 200 mg/kg COS group. At the end of the experiment, after a 12-h fast, broilers in the basal diet group were randomly divided into two groups, with six replication cages in each group; then, the broilers were transported as per the following protocols: broilers in the basal diet group (CON group) were without transport stress; broilers in the basal diet group with 3 h of transport stress (TS group), and broilers in the basal diet with 200 mg/kg COS supplementation and 3 h of transport stress (TSC group). The serum corticosterone concentration, serum, liver and muscle anti-oxidant status, as well as meat quality and muscle energy metabolism were analysed. Key results Compared with the CON group, TS group showed increased bodyweight loss, serum corticosterone concentration, breakdown of muscle glycogen, increased muscle lactate dehydrogenase activity, as well as some changes of body anti-oxidant status (higher serum, liver and muscle MDA concentrations, lower serum SOD and GSH-Px, liver SOD and CAT, and lower muscle SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT activity), accompanied with lower pH45min and pH24h. Nevertheless, compared with the TS group, dietary COS supplementation reduced bodyweight loss, decreased muscle MDA concentration, increased muscle SOD and CAT activity, and was accompanied with improving pH24h. Conclusions The results suggested that the positive effects of dietary COS supplementation in maintaining meat quality were mainly due to the improved muscle anti-oxidant status. Implications Dietary supplementation with 200 mg/kg COS could serve as a beneficial and effective way to alleviate transport-impaired meat quality of broilers.

Forsythia suspensa extract enhances performance via the improvement of nutrient digestibility, antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory function, and gut morphology in broilers

This experiment aims to determine the effects of Forsythia suspense extract (FSE) as an antibiotic substitute on performance, antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory function, intestinal morphology, and meat fatty acid deposition in broilers. 192 male Arbor Acre broilers (1-day-old, weighing 45.6 ± 1.3 g) were randomly allocated to 3 treatments, 8 replicate pens per treatment, 8 broilers per pen. The treatments contain a control diet (corn-soybean meal basal diet, CTL), an antibiotic diet (basal diet + 75 mg/kg chlortetracycline, CTC), and an FSE diet (basal diet + 100 mg/kg FSE; FSE). The experiment includes phase 1 (day 1 to 21) and 2 (day 22 to 42). Compared with CTL and CTC, broilers supplemented with FSE showed higher (P < 0.05) ADG and ADFI in phase 2 and overall (day 1 to 42). On day 21, serum catalase and total antioxidant capacity contents were enhanced (P < 0.05) in broilers fed FSE compared with CTL. On day 42, broilers fed FSE showed increased (P < 0.05) serum superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase contents, and enhanced (P < 0.05) apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, gross energy, total carbohydrates, and phosphorus, as well as reduced (P < 0.05) nitrogen and phosphorus excretion in feces compared with CTL. These broilers also showed decreased (P < 0.05) n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio in thigh meat, and tumor necrotic factor-alpha, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 contents in the liver on day 42 compared with CTL. The villus height was increased (P < 0.05) in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of broilers fed FSE compared with CTL. In conclusion, dietary F.suspense extract supplementation as a chlortetracycline substitute under non-challenge conditions enhanced performance via the improvement of nutrient digestibility, antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory function, and intestinal morphology in broilers. Moreover, F.suspense extract may also benefit environment by reducing nitrogen and phosphorus excretion and benefit human health via modulating meat fatty acid profiles in broilers.

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

Plant extracts have been proved as natural antioxidants resources as well as alternative feed additives in livestock and poultry species. Chestnut wood extract (CWE) as a source of hydrolysable tannic acid was used to evaluate the growth performance, nutrient retention, meat quality, antioxidant status, and immune function of broilers. A total of 168, day-old Arbor Acre male broilers (weight 46.59 ± 0.44 g) were randomly divided to 3 treatments, 7 replicate pens per treatment, 8 broilers per pen. The treatments contain a control diet, CON (corn-soybean meal basal diet); an antibiotic diet, CTC (basal diet + 75 mg/kg chlortetracycline); and chestnut wood extract diet, CWE (basal diet + 1,000 mg/kg chestnut tannins). At the finisher phase, final body weight was higher (P < 0.05) in CWE supplemented diet than in CON. Average daily body weight gain was higher (P < 0.05) and feed gain ratio was lower (P < 0.05) in broilers fed CWE than in those fed CON at the finisher phase. Crude protein digestibility was higher (P < 0.05) in broilers offered CWE than that in broilers fed CON and CTC diets. Breast muscle pH value at 24 h (pH24 h) was higher (P < 0.05) in broilers fed CWE than that in those fed CON and CTC diets. The bursa weight was higher (P < 0.05) in broilers offered CWE than that in those fed CON and CTC. Total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) values were higher (P < 0.05) in both breast muscle and thigh muscle of broilers offered CWE supplemented diet than those in broilers fed CON and CTC diets. Similarly, broilers offered with CWE diets showed higher (P < 0.05) T-AOC, GSH-PX, and SOD value in serum than those fed CON and CTC diets. Serum concentration of IgG was higher (P < 0.05) in broilers offered with CWE diets than that in those fed CON and CTC diets. Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and urea-N concentration were lower (P < 0.05) in broilers offered CWE diet than those in broilers fed CON and CTC diets. It was recommended to supply CWE at the 1,000 mg/kg level for improving antioxidant status, cholesterol metabolism, and growth performance without affecting normal meat quality in broilers.

Stress Associated with Simulated Transport, Changes Serum Biochemistry, Postmortem Muscle Metabolism, and Meat Quality of Broilers

Simple Summary

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the transportation on broilers through the use of a vibration and motion simulation machine. Short-term transport stress induced significant physiological changes in broiler chickens. Simulation of the vibration and motion associated transport for 2 h altered hormonal secretion and blood biochemical characteristics. However, after 4 h, the birds appear to regain homeostatic equilibrium. Despite this, the stress activated antioxidant defenses, acidified muscles and increased peroxidation, as well as decreasing the meat quality of broilers. This study supports and extends previous work that identified transportation as a major risk in relation to bird welfare and meat quality.

Abstract

Many factors contribute to the stress of transporting broilers from the farm to the processing plant. Using a motion simulation machine, a total of 144 male broilers were employed to determine the effect of motion, vibration, and feed withdrawal during transportation on serum biochemical parameters, postmortem muscle metabolism, and meat quality of broilers. The results indicated that transportation did not affect the activity of lactate dehydrogenase, γ-glutamyl transferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, and glucose in the serum, glutathione peroxidase in the breast and thigh muscle, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the breast, and heat stress protein 70 mRNA expression level in the liver (p > 0.05). Serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and insulin concentration declined with 2 h transportation (p < 0.05) and recovered with 4 h transportation (p < 0.05). NOS concentration in the thigh increased with 2 h transportation (p < 0.05) and recovered with 4 h transportation (p < 0.05). Two-hour and 4 h transportation increased the activity of superoxide dismutase in both muscles. Malondialdehyde, lactic acid, and drip loss_{24 h} in both thigh and breast muscles increased, and glycogen in both muscles decreased with increasing transportation times (p < 0.05). Two-hour transportation did not influence pH_{45 min} and pH_{24 h} in the breast and thigh muscle, but these indexes decreased with 4 h transportation. This experiment supports and extends previous work that identified transportation as a major risk in relation to bird welfare and meat quality.

Isoforsythiaside Attenuates Alzheimer's Disease via Regulating Mitochondrial Function Through the PI3K/AKT Pathway

Improving mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibiting apoptosis has always been regarded as a treatment strategy for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Isoforsythiaside (IFY), a phenylethanoid glycoside isolated from the dried fruit of Forsythia suspensa, displays antioxidant activity. This study examined the neuroprotective effects of IFY and its underlying mechanisms. In the L-glutamate (L-Glu)-induced apoptosis of HT22 cells, IFY increased cell viability, inhibited mitochondrial apoptosis, and reduced the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), caspase-3, -8 and -9 after 3 h of pretreatment and 12-24 h of co-incubation. In the APPswe/PSEN1dE9 transgenic (APP/PS1) model, IFY reduced the anxiety of mice, improved their memory and cognitive ability, reduced the deposition of beta amyloid (Aβ) plaques in the brain, restrained the phosphorylation of the tau protein to form neurofibrillary tangles, inhibited the level of 4-hydroxynonenal in the brain, and improved phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway-related mitochondrial apoptosis. In Aβ1-42-induced U251 cells, IFY relieved the mitochondrial swelling, crest ruptures and increased their electron density after 3 h of pretreatment and 18-24 h of co-incubation. The improved cell viability and mitochondrial function after IFY incubation was blocked by the synthetic PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Taken together, these results suggest that IFY exerts a protective effect against AD by enhancing the expression levels of anti-apoptosis proteins and reducing the expression levels of pro-apoptosis proteins of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family members though activating the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Chitosan oligosaccharide as an effective feed additive to maintain growth performance, meat quality, muscle glycolytic metabolism, and oxidative status in yellow-feather broilers under heat stress

This study investigated the effects of dietary chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) supplementation on growth performance; corticosterone, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentration; relative organ weight; liver function; meat quality; muscle glycolytic metabolism; and oxidative status in yellow-feather broilers under heat stress. A total of 108 35-day-old Chinese yellow-feather broilers (BW, 470.31 ± 13.15 g) was randomly allocated to 3 dietary treatments as follow: control group, basal diet and raised under normal temperature (24°C); HS group, basal diet and raised under cycle heat stress (34°C from 10:00 to 18:00 and 24°C for the rest time); and HSC group, basal diet with 200 mg/kg COS supplementation and raised under cycle heat stress. Each treatment had 6 replication pens and 6 broilers per pen. Results indicated that heat stress decreased ADG, ADFI, gain:feed ratio, the relative weight of thymus, bursa of Fabricius, pancreas, proventriculus, gizzard, and liver, growth hormone concentration, pH_24h, muscle glycogen content, muscle superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity, as well as increased corticosterone, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase level, cooking loss, muscle lactate and malondialdehyde content. Compared with the HS group, broilers in the HSC group had higher ADG, the relative weight of thymus, bursa of Fabricius, and liver, growth hormone concentration, pH_24h, muscle glycogen content, muscle superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity, and lower serum corticosterone, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase level, cooking loss, and muscle lactate and malondialdehyde content. In conclusion, the results suggested that COS could be used as an effective feed additive to maintain growth performance, liver function, meat quality, muscle glycolytic metabolism, and oxidative status of yellow-feather broilers under heat stress. The improved meat quality is possibly through reducing muscle glycolysis metabolism and improving muscle oxidative status by dietary COS supplementation in broilers under heat stress.

L-theanine attenuates transport stress-induced impairment of meat quality of broilers through improving muscle antioxidant status

This study was to investigate the effect of dietary L-theanine (THE) supplementation (0, 600 mg/kg) on growth performance, carcass traits, immune organ indexes, meat quality, and muscle antioxidant status of transported broilers. A total of 180 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly allotted to 2 treatment groups including a THE-free group with 12 replicates of 10 birds each and a THE group with 6 replicates of 10 birds each. On the morning of day 42, after a 9-h fast, the birds of THE-free group were divided into 2 equal groups, and then all birds in the 3 groups were placed into 18 crates and were transported according to the following protocols: 0-h transport of birds in the THE-free group (control group), 3-h transport of birds in the THE-free group (T group), and 3-h transport of birds in the THE group (T + THE group). Results showed that dietary THE supplementation improved feed conversion ratio and birds' final body weight (P < 0.05), while transport and dietary THE supplementation did not affect carcass traits of broilers (P > 0.05). Transport increased bird live weight loss, drip loss, L*24 h, muscle malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PC) and lactate contents, while it decreased thymus, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius indexes, pH24h, a*, and muscle total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activities and glycogen content (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, compared with birds in the T group, birds in the T + THE group exhibited increased thymus, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius indexes, pH24h, a*24 h, and muscle T-AOC, CAT, and GSH-PX activities and glycogen content, and decreased drip loss, L*24 h, and muscle MDA, PC, and lactate contents (P < 0.05). This study provided the first evidence that dietary THE supplementation prevented transport-stress-impaired immune organ indexes and meat quality of broilers, and the reason for maintenance of meat quality by supplementation of THE may be partly ascribed to the changed muscle glycolysis metabolism and antioxidant status.

Weeping forsythia extract alleviates dexamethasone-induced oxidative injury of breast muscles in broilers

Antioxidants have been always used to improve post-slaughter meat quality in broilers subjected to stress. Forsythia suspensa extract (FSE), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, is generally regarded as a natural source of antioxidants. Therefore, the objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that FSE could protect post-slaughter breast muscles against oxidative injury induced by dexamethasone (DEX) mimicking chronic physiological stress in poultry production. Average daily gain and feed efficiency of poultry were suppressed by DEX and improved by FSE (P < 0.05). Dexamethasone caused the decrease in the redness value and the increase in the lightness and yellowness values and drip loss of the breast muscles (P < 0.05), and FSE had the converse effects (P < 0.05). Dietary FSE supplementation decreased monounsaturated fatty acid (FA) and increased polyunsaturated FA in breast muscles of broilers (P < 0.05). In addition, FSE decreased malondialdehyde and carbonyl content in the breast muscles of DEX-treated broilers (P < 0.05). The inhibition of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl in the breast muscles was decreased by DEX and increased by FSE (P < 0.05). Total-antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase activity in the breast muscles were decreased in birds subjected to DEX and increased in birds supplemented with FSE (P < 0.05). Totally, DEX suppressed growth performance and induced breast muscle oxidative injury in broilers, and FSE supplementation improved antioxidant capacity to attenuate these adverse effects. Therefore, FSE could be a potential natural antioxidant to alleviate oxidative injury of the breast muscles in broilers and to improve the meat quality for human consumption.