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Oxidative stress defines a condition in which the prooxidant–antioxidant balance in the cell is disturbed, resulting in DNA hydroxylation, protein denaturation, lipid peroxidation, and apoptosis, ultimately compromising cells’ viability. Probiotics have been known for many beneficial health effects, and the consumption of probiotics alone or in food shows that strain-specific probiotics can present antioxidant activity and reduce damages caused by oxidation. However, the oxidation-resistant ability of probiotics, especially the underling mechanisms, is not properly understood. In this view, there is interest to figure out the antioxidant property of probiotics and summarize the mode of action of probiotic bacteria in antioxidation. Therefore, in the present paper, the antioxidant mechanisms of probiotics have been reviewed in terms of their ability to improve the antioxidant system and their ability to decrease radical generation. Since in recent years, oxidative stress has been associated with an altered gut microbiota, the effects of probiotics on intestinal flora composition are also elaborated.

Poultry production exposes birds to diverse environmental and physiological stressors that disrupt redox balance, impair gut–liver axis function, and undermine health and productivity. This study investigated the hepatoprotective and antioxidative effects of mangosteen pericarp extract (MPE) in an experimental model of diquat-induced oxidative stress in laying hens. A total of 270 Hy-Line White laying hens were randomly assigned to three groups: control group (CON), diquat-challenged group (DQ), and MEP intervention with diquat-challenged group (MQ), with six replicates of 15 birds each. The results showed that MPE supplementation effectively mitigated the hepatic oxidative damage caused by diquat, as evidenced by the increased ALT and AST activity, improved lipid metabolism, and reduced hepatic fibrosis. Mechanistically, MPE activated the NRF2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway, thus enhancing the liver’s ability to counteract ROS-induced damage and reducing lipid droplet accumulation in liver tissue. MPE supplementation restored intestinal barrier integrity by upregulating tight junction protein expression (Occludin-1 and ZO-1), enhancing MUC-2 expression, and thereby decreasing gut microbiota-derived LPS transferring from the intestine. Additionally, MPE also modulated gut microbiota composition by enriching beneficial bacterial genera such as Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus while suppressing the growth of potentially harmful taxa (e.g., Bacteroidales and UCG-010). Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from MPE-treated donors into diquat-exposed recipients reproduced these beneficial effects, further highlighting the role of gut microbiota modulation in mediating MPE’s systemic protective actions. Together, these findings demonstrated that MPE alleviated DQ-induced liver injury and oxidative stress through a combination of antioxidant activity, protection of intestinal barrier function, and modulation of gut microbiota, positioning MPE as a promising natural strategy for mitigating oxidative stress-related liver damage by regulating the gut microbiota and gut–liver axis in poultry.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-enriched eggs are nutritionally valuable for human cardiovascular health and neurodevelopment but face severe lipid oxidation during storage due to DHA’s high degree of unsaturation, which reduces their quality and shelf life. Selenium (Se) mitigates such oxidation, yet the efficacy of different Se sources (organic vs. inorganic) in DHA-enriched eggs remains inadequately quantified. This study investigated the effects of dietary Se sources on Se distribution, internal quality, and oxidative stability of DHA-enriched eggs by feeding 360 Hy-line Brown laying hens (50 weeks old) four diets for 8 weeks: a basal diet (CON; analyzed Se: 0.10 mg/kg), a DHA-enriched microalgae diet (MA; analyzed Se: 0.11 mg/kg), or MA supplemented with 0.25 mg/kg Se as sodium selenite (MA + SS) or selenium yeast (MA + SY). At the end of the feeding trial, eggs were collected and stored at 22 °C for 0, 15, or 30 days to evaluate internal quality and oxidative stability. Results showed that SY was significantly more effective than SS in enriching Se in eggs: the total Se content in whole eggs of MA + SY (18.82 mg) was 39.6% higher than that of MA + SS (13.48 mg), with albumen Se content in MA + SY (0.239 mg/kg) being 2.17-fold that of MA + SS (0.110 mg/kg). Supplementation with DHA alone (MA diet) negatively impacted stored egg quality: at 30 days of storage, the Haugh unit (HU) of MA (54.93) was 10.6% lower than that of CON (61.48), and yolk thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARSs, 495.8 μg MDA/kg) was 22.9% higher than that of CON (403.3 μg MDA/kg). However, both Se sources improved these parameters, with SY showing a more pronounced effect: at 30 days, MA + SY had a higher yolk GPX activity (58.10 U/g protein, 12.1% higher than MA + SS) and lower yolk TBARSs (361.2 μg MDA/kg, 11.6% lower than MA + SS), while its HU (62.97) was restored to 99.2% of CON’s level. The superior efficacy of SY was attributed to greater Se deposition and enhanced GPX activity, which jointly reduced lipid and protein oxidation. These findings confirm SY as the preferred Se supplement for producing nutritionally enhanced DHA-enriched eggs with improved storage stability.

Background Magnolol (MAG) exhibits hepatoprotective activity, however, whether and how MAG regulates the gut microbiota to alleviate fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the mechanism of MAG in FLHS laying hens with an emphasis on alterations in the gut–liver axis. We randomly divided 540 56-week-old Hy-line white laying hens with FLSH into 4 groups. The birds were fed a high-fat low-protein (HFLP) diet (CON) or HELP diets supplemented with 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg of MAG (M1, M2, and M3, respectively) for 9 weeks. Results Magnolol supplementation increased the laying rate and ameliorated hepatic damage and dysfunction by regulating lipid metabolism, improving intestinal barrier function, and shaping the gut microbiota and tryptophan metabolic profiles. Dietary MAG supplementation downregulated the expression of lipid synthesis genes and upregulated the expression of lipid transport genes at varying degrees. The intestinal barrier function was improved by 200 and 400 mg/kg of MAG supplementation, as evidenced by the increased villus height and mRNA expression of tight junction related genes. Microbiological profile information revealed that MAG changed the gut microbiota, especially by elevating the abundances of Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium , and Butyricicoccus . Moreover, non-targeted metabolomic analysis showed that MAG significantly promoted tryptophan metabolites, which was positively correlated with the MAG-enriched gut microbiota. The increased tryptophan metabolites could activate aryl hydrocarbon receptor ( AhR ) and relieved hepatic inflammation and immune response evidenced by the downregulated the gene expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β ( IL-1β ), tumor necrosis factor-α ( TNF-α ), and interleukin-6 ( IL-6 ) in the liver. The fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments further confirmed that the hepatoprotective effect is likely mediated by MAG-altered gut microbiota and their metabolites. Conclusions Magnolol can be an outstanding supplement for the prevention and mitigation of FLHS in laying hens by positively regulating lipid synthesis and transport metabolism, improving the intestinal barrier function, and relieving hepatic inflammation by reshaping the gut microbiota and metabolite profiles through gut microbiota-indole metabolite-hepatic AhR crosstalk. These findings elucidate the mechanisms by which MAG alleviates FLHS and provide a promising method for preventing liver diseases by modulating gut microbiota and their metabolites.

At present, the widespread use of high-dose zinc oxide and antibiotics to prevent post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in piglets has caused serious environmental problems. To solve this problem, we studied the effect of HNa as a substitute for zinc oxide (ZnO) and antibiotics on the growth performance, immune status, and antioxidant capacity of piglets. Seventy-two weaned piglets (body weight = 7.42 ± 0.85 kg, 26-d-old) were distributed in a randomized 2 × 3 factorial design (two sexes and three treatments) with six replicates of four piglets each. The three treatments were the control diet (basic diet), HNa diet (basic diet + 2000 mg/kg sodium humate), and ZoA group (basic diet + 1600 mg/kg zinc oxide + 1000 mg/kg oxytetracycline calcium). ANOVA and Chi-square tests were applied to compare the means (p < 0.05) between treatments. The results showed that body weight at 16 and 30 d and the average daily gain of piglets fed with HNa or ZoA were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the control group. Supplementing HNa or ZoA significantly increased (p < 0.05) the level of immunoglobulin M and G, and reduced (p < 0.05) the concentration of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukins IL-6 and IL-1β, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and diamine oxidase (DAO). Furthermore, dietary HNa or ZnO significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the level of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) compared with the control group. ZoA treatment showed an upward trend of IgA level and a downward trend of the concentration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and catalase (CAT). Overall, the study demonstrated that the addition of HNa in the diet partially replaced antibiotics and ZnO to improve the growth performance, immune function, and antioxidant capacity of weaned piglets, and maintained a good preventive effect on piglet diarrhea.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the effects of low doses of organic trace minerals (iron, copper, manganese, and zinc) on productive performance, egg quality, yolk and tissue mineral retention, and fecal mineral excretion of laying hens during the late laying period.MethodsA total of 405 healthy hens (HY-Line White, 50-week-old) were randomly divided into 3 treatments, with 9 replicates per treatment and 15 birds per replicate. The dietary treatments included feeding a basal diet + inorganic trace minerals at commercial levels (CON), a basal diet + inorganic trace minerals at 1/3 commercial levels (ITM), and a basal diet + proteinated trace minerals at 1/3 commercial levels (TRT). The trial lasted for 56 days.ResultsCompared to CON, ITM decreased (p<0.05) egg production, daily egg mass, albumen height, eggshell strength, yolk Fe concentration, serum alkaline phosphatase activity and total protein, and increased (p<0.05) egg loss and feed to egg ratio. Whereas with productive performance, egg quality, yolk mineral retention, and serum indices there were no differences (p>0.05) between CON and TRT. The concentrations of Fe and Mn in the tissue and tibia were changed notably in ITM relative to CON and TRT. Both ITM and TRT reduced (p< 0.05) fecal mineral excretion compared to CON.ConclusionThese results indicate that dietary supplementation of low-dose organic trace minerals reduced fecal mineral excretion without negatively impacting hen performance and egg quality.

Background Systemic inflammatory responses and oxidative stress occur in laying hens during the aging process, particularly during the post-peaking laying period, which generally result in multi-organ damages, leading to significant declines in egg performance and quality. Chlorogenic acid (CGA)-enriched extract from Eucommia ulmoides leaves has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. However, the mechanisms underlying whether and how CGA alleviates systemic inflammatory responses and oxidative stress to improve egg performance and quality in post-peaking laying hens remain unclear. In this study, the potential regulatory mechanisms of CGA in alleviating inflammatory responses and oxidative stress along the gut-liver axis were investigated. A total of 360 55-week-old Hy-line white-laying hens were randomly selected and divided into four groups. The hens in the four groups were fed a basal diet (CON) or basal diets supplemented with 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg of CGA (CGA200, CGA400, and CGA800, respectively) for 10 weeks. Results The results demonstrated that CGA significantly alleviated intestinal and hepatic damages resulting from systemic inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, thereby improving the laying performance and egg quality of post-peaking laying hens. CGA reduced systemic inflammation by improving intestinal barrier function and modulating inflammation-associated microbiota ( Blautia and Megamonas ), thus inhibiting endotoxin translocation. CGA can also reduce oxidative stress by upregulating the NRF-2 pathway-related genes and increasing antioxidant enzyme activities in the liver. The results of transcriptome sequencing revealed that CGA promoted lipid metabolism by regulating hepatic adipocytokine pathway-related genes/protein and reduced the inflammatory responses and apoptosis in liver by regulating PI3K/AKT pathway-related genes/proteins, which was also verified by qPCR and western blotting. Conclusion CGA alleviated multi-organ damages and dysfunction by suppressing the systemic inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in post-peaking laying hens, thereby improving egg performance and quality. The optimal dose of CGA is 400 mg/kg in this experiment. These results provide a sound theoretical basis for the application of CGA as an exogenous animal feed additive for laying hens.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of compound organic acid calcium (COAC) on growth performance, hepatic antioxidant status and intestinal barrier of male broilers under high ambient temperature (32.7°C). Methods: Nine hundred healthy one-d-old Cobb-500 male broiler chicks were randomly assigned into three groups with six replicates of 50 birds each. A basal diet supplemented with 0% (control), 0.4% and 0.8% COAC, respectively were fed to birds for 6 weeks. All treatments were under high ambient indoor temperature of 32.7°C, and had a constant calcium and available phosphorus ratio. Results: The results showed that, compared with control, the average daily gain of broilers in 0.4% and 0.8% was significantly increased and the ratio of feed to gain in in 0.4% and 0.8% was significantly decreased at 1 to 21, 22 to 42 and 1 to 42 days of age (p<0.05). Compared with control, 0.8% COAC slightly decreased (p = 0.093) the content of malondialdehyde in liver at 42 days of age while 0.4% COAC significantly decreased (p<0.05) the activity of alkaline phosphatase. Furthermore, 0.4% COAC significantly enhanced the intestinal barrier function via increasing jejunal and ileal ocln transcription, promoting jejunal mucin 2 transcription at 42 days of age (p<0.05), and decreasing jejunal toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2) and ileal TLR-15, inducible nitric oxide synthase compared with control group (p<0.05). Whereas, no significant differences on the transcription of interleukin-1β in jejunum and ileum were observed among three treatments (p>0.05). Overall, heat stress caused by high natural environment temperature may induce the damage to hepatic antioxidation and intestinal barrier. Conclusion: Dietary inclusion of COAC can improve the tolerance of broilers to thermal environment through the modification of antioxidative parameters in liver and the mRNA expression of genes in intestinal barrier, resulting in an optimal inclusion level of 0.4%. KCI Citation Count: 4

The objective of the study was to evaluate the maximum tolerance limit of amino acid copper complex (Cu-Lys-Glu) for laying hens by measuring their laying performance, hematological and serum biochemical parameters, organ index, and histopathology. A total of 450 18-week-old Beijing White layers were randomly allocated to 5 groups (90 birds per group) with 6 replicates of 15 birds each. After a 2-week acclimation on a basal diet (analyzed copper content 8.63 mg/kg), the birds were fed diets supplemented with 0 (control), 15, 75, 150, and 300 mg Cu/kg as Cu-Lys-Glu for 10 weeks. Results showed that, compared with the control group, dietary supplementation with 15, 75, and 150 mg Cu/kg as Cu-Lys-Glu did not affect (P > 0.05) laying performance, whereas hens receiving with 300 mg Cu/kg significantly decreased (P < 0.001) the laying rate as compared with the control. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed among the hens receiving 0, 15, 75, and 150 mg Cu/kg as Cu-Lys-Glu in hematological and serum biochemical parameters, organ indexes, and histopathological changes. However, hens receiving 300 mg Cu/kg significantly increased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of mean corpuscular volume (MCV), albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (TBILI), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), urea nitrogen (UN), and creatinine (CRE), as well as caused severe microscopic histopathological changes in the liver and kidney. In conclusion, 150 mg Cu/kg as Cu-Lys-Glu is identified as no-side-effect supplementation level in laying hens after daily administration for 70 days.

Background This study aimed to investigate whether the combination of Macleaya cordata extract (MCE) and Bacillus could improve the laying performance and health of laying hens better. Methods A total of 360 29-week-old Jingbai laying hens were randomly divided into 4 treatments: control group (basal diet), MCE group (basal diet + MCE), Probiotics Bacillus Compound (PBC) group (basal diet + compound Bacillus ), MCE + PBC group (basal diet + MCE + compound Bacillus ). The feeding experiment lasted for 42 d. Results The results showed that the laying rate and the average daily egg mass in the MCE + PBC group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( P  < 0.05) and better than the MCE and PBC group. Combination of MCE and Bacillus significantly increased the content of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the serum and up-regulated the expression of related hormone receptor gene (estrogen receptor - β , FSHR and luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor) in the ovary of laying hens ( P  < 0.05). In the MCE + PBC group, the mRNA expressions of zonula occluden-1, Occludin and mucin-2 in jejunum was increased and the intestinal epithelial barrier detected by transmission electron microscopy was enhanced compared with the control group ( P  < 0.05). In addition, compared with the control group, combination of MCE and Bacillus significantly increased the total antioxidant capacity and catalase activity ( P  < 0.05), and down-regulated the mRNA expressions of inflammation-related genes (interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α) as well as apoptosis-related genes ( Caspase 3 , Caspase 8 and P53 ) ( P  < 0.05). The concentration of acetic acid and butyric acid in the cecum content of laying hens in the MCE + PBC group was significantly increased compared with the control group ( P  < 0.05). Conclusions Collectively, dietary supplementation of 600 μg/kg MCE and 5 × 10 8  CFU/kg compound Bacillus can improve laying performance by improving microbiota to enhance antioxidant capacity and intestinal barrier, regulate reproductive hormones and the concentration of cecal short-chain fatty acids of laying hens, and the combined effect of MCE and Bacillus is better than that of single supplementation.