Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of quercetin on the antioxidant ability, intestinal barrier functions, and cecal microbiota in broiler chickens fed with oxidized soya oil. Four hundred eighty male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly assigned to 5 treatments, each involving 8 cages (12 birds per cage). The treatment groups were as follows: the control group, birds fed with basal diets containing oxidized oil, and birds fed with basal diets containing oxidized oil and supplemented with 200 ppm of quercetin, 400 ppm of quercetin, and 800 ppm of quercetin. The results showed that dietary supplementation with quercetin at a dose of 400 ppm or 800 ppm alleviated the increased serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level induced by oxidized oil on day 11 (P = 0.005) and reversed the increased MDA level in the mucosa on day 11 (P = 0.021). Quercetin significantly upregulated the transcription of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream genes such as catalase (P < 0.001), superoxide dismutase 1 (P < 0.001), glutathione peroxidase 2 (P = 0.018), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) (P = 0.0), and thioredoxin (P = 0.002) and reversed the mRNA expression of HO-1 (P = 0.007) in the ileal mucosa. Tight junction protein 1 was only downregulated by oxidized oil (P = 0.013). In addition, quercetin (800 ppm) alleviated the decreased mRNA expression of mucin 2 (MUC2), which contributed to the intestinal chemical barrier (P = 0.039). The supplemental dose of 400 ppm of quercetin was able to promote Lactobacillus in the cecum, which enhanced the gastrointestinal tract health. In summary, these results indicated that quercetin ameliorated the oxidized oil-induced oxidative stress by upregulating the transcription of Nrf2 and its downstream genes to restore redox balance and reinforced the intestinal barrier via higher expression and secretion of MUC2 and facilitating the growth of Lactobacillus in the cecum. Therefore, quercetin could be a potential feed additive that can be applied in poultry production for amelioration of oxidative stress caused by oxidized oil and preventing the potential invasion of exogenous pathogens.