Journal Article

Effects of different energy levels in low-protein diet on liver lipid metabolism in the late-phase laying hens through the gut-liver axis

Wang, Kunping, Bai, Xi, Chen, Liang, Mi, Qianhui, Zhang, Qiang, Hu, Hong, Zhao, Zelong, Huang, Ying, Pan, Hongbin, Li, Anjian

2024

Overview

Background The energy/protein imbalance in a low-protein diet induces lipid metabolism disorders in late-phase laying hens. Reducing energy levels in the low-protein diet to adjust the energy-to-protein ratio may improve fat deposition, but this also decreases the laying performance of hens. This study investigated the mechanism by which different energy levels in the low-protein diet influences liver lipid metabolism in late-phase laying hens through the enterohepatic axis to guide feed optimization and nutrition strategies. A total of 288 laying hens were randomly allocated to the normal-energy and normal-protein diet group (positive control: CK) or 1 of 3 groups: low-energy and low-protein diet (LL), normal-energy and low-protein diet (NL), and high-energy and low-protein diet (HL) groups. The energy-to-protein ratios of the CK, LL, NL, and HL diets were 0.67, 0.74, 0.77, and 0.80, respectively. Results Compared with the CK group, egg quality deteriorated with increasing energy intake in late-phase laying hens fed low-protein diet. Hens fed LL, NL, and HL diets had significantly higher triglyceride, total cholesterol, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid synthase levels, but significantly lower hepatic lipase levels compared with the CK group. Liver transcriptome sequencing revealed that genes involved in fatty acid beta-oxidation ( ACOX1 , HADHA , EHHADH , and ACAA1 ) were downregulated, whereas genes related to fatty acid synthesis ( SCD , FASN , and ACACA ) were upregulated in LL group compared with the CK group. Comparison of the cecal microbiome showed that in hens fed an LL diet, Lactobacillus and Desulfovibrio were enriched, whereas riboflavin metabolism was suppressed. Cecal metabolites that were most significantly affected by the LL diet included several vitamins, such as riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ), pantethine (vitamin B 5 derivative), pyridoxine (vitamin B 6 ), and 4-pyridoxic acid. Conclusion A lipid metabolism disorder due to deficiencies of vitamin B 2 and pantethine originating from the metabolism of the cecal microbiome may be the underlying reason for fat accumulation in the liver of late-phase laying hens fed an LL diet. Based on the present study, we propose that targeting vitamin B 2 and pantethine (vitamin B 5 derivative) might be an effective strategy for improving lipid metabolism in late-phase laying hens fed a low-protein diet.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,Springer Nature B.V,Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science,Faculty of Animal Science and Technology,Yunnan Agricultural University,Kunming 650201,China%College of Animal Science,Anhui Science and Tech-nology University,Bengbu 233000,China%State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition,Institute of Animal Sciences,Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences,Beijing 100193,China%Shanghai BIOZERON Biotechnology Co.,Ltd,Shanghai 201800,China%WOD Poultry Research Institute,Beijing 100193,China,BMC
• Subject: 4-pyridoxic acid / Acetyl-CoA carboxylase / Agriculture / Animal Genetics and Genomics / Animal Physiology / animals / beta oxidation / Bioengineering / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biotechnology / carboxylic ester hydrolases / Cecal microbiome / Cecum / Cholesterol / Desulfovibrio / Diet / egg quality / Eggs / Energy / Energy intake / Energy metabolism / Energy/protein imbalance / Ethanol / Fat metabolism / Fatty acids / Fatty-acid synthase / Food Science / Gene sequencing / Genes / Genomes / High density lipoprotein / High protein diet / Lactobacillus / Late-phase laying hens laying hens / Life Sciences / Lipid metabolism / lipid metabolism disorders / Lipids / Lipoproteins / Liver / Liver diseases / Liver lipid metabolism / Low protein diet / Metabolic disorders / Metabolites / microbiome / Microbiomes / Microbiota / Multi-omics / Nutrient deficiency / Nutrition research / Oxidation / Poultry / Protein turnover / Proteins / Pyridoxine / Riboflavin / transcriptome / Transcriptomes / triacylglycerols / Triglycerides / Vitamin B6 / Vitamin deficiency / Vitamins