Abstract
This study assessed and compared the effects of the intra-amniotic administration of various concentrations of soluble extracts from chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) on the Fe and Zn status, brush border membrane functionality, intestinal morphology, and intestinal bacterial populations, in vivo. The hypothesis was that chia seed soluble extracts will affect the intestinal morphology, functionality and intestinal bacterial populations. By using the Gallus gallus model and the intra-amniotic administration approach, seven treatment groups (non-injected, 18 Ω H2O, 40 mg/mL inulin, non-injected, 5 mg/mL, 10 mg/mL, 25 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL of chia seed soluble extracts) were utilized. At hatch, the cecum, duodenum, liver, pectoral muscle and blood samples were collected for assessment of the relative abundance of the gut microflora, relative expression of Fe- and Zn-related genes and brush border membrane functionality and morphology, relative expression of lipids-related genes, glycogen, and hemoglobin levels, respectively. This study demonstrated that the intra-amniotic administration of chia seed soluble extracts increased (p < 0.05) the villus surface area, villus length, villus width and the number of goblet cells. Further, we observed an increase (p < 0.05) in zinc transporter 1 (ZnT1) and duodenal cytochrome b (Dcytb) proteins gene expression. Our results suggest that the dietary consumption of chia seeds may improve intestinal health and functionality and may indirectly improve iron and zinc intestinal absorption.