Protective Effect of Lipoic Acid on Oxidative Stress and Tissue Damage Induced by Aflatoxin B1 in Young Laying Hens

The aim of this study is to investigate the alleviating effect of lipoic acid on oxidative stress and tissue damage induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in young laying hens. The experiment was divided into a control group, an AFB1 group, and three lipoic acid treatment groups. The AFB1 group and three lipoic acid treatment groups were given diets supplemented with 90 μg/kg of AFB1. The additional amounts of lipoic acid were 20, 100, and 500 mg/kg, respectively, with a feeding period of 4 weeks. The experimental results showed that AFB1 significantly increased the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum and significantly decreased the levels of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) (p < 0.05). In addition, AFB1 damaged the structure of the liver, spleen, and ovarian tissues. Lipoic acid reduced the levels of ALT, AST, ALP, and MDA in the serum and increased the levels of TP, ALB, T-SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, lipoic acid also protected mitochondrial structure and alleviated liver, spleen, and ovarian tissue damage caused by AFB1. In summary, lipoic acid can alleviate oxidative stress and tissue damage caused by AFB1 in young laying hens.

Biological Mechanisms of Aflatoxin B1-Induced Bile Metabolism Abnormalities in Ducklings

This study investigated the effects and biological mechanisms of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on the health and bile metabolism of ducklings. Forty-eight 1-day-old ducklings were randomly assigned to two groups, with six replicates per group. The control group was fed a basic diet, while the AFB1 group received a diet containing 90 µg/kg of AFB1. The experiment lasted for 2 weeks. The results showed that 90 µg/kg AFB1 caused abnormal bile metabolism; damaged liver cell nuclei and mitochondria; and significantly decreased body weight, average daily weight gain, and levels of albumin, total protein, cholesterol, total superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione. It also significantly increased feed conversion efficiency, along with alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bile acids, and malondialdehyde levels. In the liver, the expression levels of CYP7A1, SCD, and other genes were significantly upregulated, while BSEP, FASN, HMGCR, CAT, and other genes were significantly downregulated. In conclusion, AFB1 causes abnormal bile metabolism and impairs the overall health and liver function of ducklings. Its mechanism of action may involve changes in gene expression related to bile acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, oxidative damage, and cancer pathways.

Epigallocatechin Gallate and Glutathione Attenuate Aflatoxin B1-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Ducklings via Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis and the Nrf2 Signalling Pathway

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exists widely in feed and food with severe hazards, posing a serious threat to human and animal health. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and glutathione (GSH) have been reported as having anti-oxidative and other functions. The present study aimed to investigate the detoxification effect of EGCG and GSH alone or in combination on AFB1 exposure in ducklings. Fifty one-day-old male ducklings were randomly assigned into five experimental groups (n = 10): 1. Control (CTR); 2. 0.3 mg/kg BW AFB1 (AFB1); 3. 0.3 mg/kg BW AFB1 + 100 mg/kg BW EGCG (AFB1 + EGCG); 4. 0.3 mg/kg BW AFB1 + 30 mg/kg BW GSH (AFB1 + GSH); 5. 0.3 mg/kg BW AFB1 + 100 mg/kg BW EGCG + 30 mg/kg BW GSH (AFB1 + EGCG + GSH). The experiment lasted for seven days. Compared with the CTR group, AFB1 reduced growth performance, total serum protein and albumin content, increased serum enzyme activity (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase), and caused pathological damage to the ducklings' livers. AFB1 exposure increased malondialdehyde content and decreased superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity, catalase, glutathione peroxidase activities, and glutathione content in the liver. EGCG and GSH alone or in combination mitigated these adverse effects. Meanwhile, EGCG and GSH attenuate apoptosis of hepatocytes, and regulated AFB1-induced changes in the abundance of genes contained in the Keap1/Nrf2 signalling and apoptotic pathways. Collectively, these results suggest that EGCG and GSH alleviate the hepatocyte injury induced by AFB1 by inhibiting oxidative stress and attenuating excessive mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.

Productive performance, fertility and hatchability, blood indices and gut microbial load in laying quails as affected by two types of probiotic bacteria

This study investigated two kinds of probiotic bacteria (Bacillus toyonensis, B1 and Bifidobacterium bifidum, B2) on laying Japanese quail’s performance, egg quality, fertility and hatchability, blood biochemical characteristics and microbiological parameters. A total of 270 mature quails (180 females and 90 males) were distributed into ten groups in a completely randomized design at eight weeks of age. The experimental groups were as follows: T1: basal diet only (control); T2-T5, basal diet plus 0.05, 0.075, 0.10 and 0.125% B1, respectively; T6: basal diet plus 0.10% B2; T7-T10: basal diet plus 0.05, 0.075, 0.10 and 0.125% B1 plus 0.05% B2, respectively. Results revealed that egg number (EN) and egg weight (EW) were gradually increased (P < 0.01) as the levels of both probiotic types increased. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly (P < 0.05) better within the total experimental period (8–20 weeks) due to B1 alone or/with B2 supplementation. Values of yolk percentage (Y%) were statistically (P < 0.01) higher only at 8–20 weeks of age and T10 recorded the highest value. By increasing the level of probiotics, fertility and hatchability percentages (F% and H%) were gradually increased (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). Creatinine (CR) level was statistically reduced in birds fed T4 diet. Also, urea-N and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were reduced in treated birds. The opposite was found regarding alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Conclusively, using B1 and B2 enhanced the productive performance, some egg quality traits, fertility and hatchability, digestive enzyme activities, and reduced the harmful bacteria in the gut of laying Japanese quail. Our findings could recommend to apply T4 (basal diet + 0.10 % B1), T6 (basal diet + 0.10% B2) and T9 (basal diet + 0.10% B1 + 0.05% B2) levels for the best results.