Effects of Oral Administration of Bamboo (Dendrocalamus membranaceus) Leaf Flavonoids on the Antioxidant Capacity, Caecal Microbiota, and Serum Metabolome of Gallus gallus domesticus

Effects of bamboo leaf flavonoids on growth performance, antioxidants, immune function, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota in broilers

BACKGROUND

Bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLF) are the main bioactive ingredients in bamboo leaves. They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and other effects. In this study, the effects of dietary BLF on growth performance, immune response, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiota of broilers were investigated. A total of 288 broilers were divided into three groups with eight replicates and 12 birds in each replicate. Broilers were fed a basic diet or the basic diet supplemented with 1000 or 2000 mg kg-1 BLF for 56 days.

RESULTS

The results showed that supplementation of BLF increased body weight (BW) and average daily weight gain (ADG), and reduced average daily feed intake (ADFI) (P < 0.05). The serum immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM), and interleukin 10 (IL-10) content of broilers in the BLF1000 group was increased and the interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) content was decreased (P < 0.05). The levels of IgM and IL-10 in jejunum mucosa were found to be enhanced by BLF (P < 0.05). The BLF1000 group exhibited a significant reduction in the concentration of TNF-α (P < 0.05). Serum and jejunum mucosa total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels in the BLF1000 group were increased (P < 0.05). The serum catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) effects of the BLF1000 group and serum CAT effects of BLF2000 group were increased (P < 0.05). The CON group demonstrated a lower relative abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group and Oscillibacter than the BLF group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Dietary BLF inclusion enhanced the growth performance, immune, and antioxidant functions, improved the intestinal morphology, and ameliorated the intestinal microflora structure in broiler. Adding 1000 mg kg-1 BLF to the broiler diet can be considered as an effective growth promoter. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Beneficial effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on growth performance, immune status, antioxidant function and intestinal microbiota in broilers

Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) has been globally regarded as antibiotic alternative in animal farming in the past few years. However, the potential function of L. plantarum in broilers has not been systemically explored. In this study, a total of 560 one-day-old yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into 3 groups, fed with basal diet and drank with L. plantarum HJZW08 (LP) at the concentration of 0 (CON), 1000 × 10^5 (LP1000), and 2000 × 10^5 CFU/L (LP2000) for 70 d. Results showed that the body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgY, and anti-inflammatory interleukin 10 (IL-10) were markedly improved (P < 0.05), while the levels of pro-inflammatory IL-2, IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in serum were decreased (P < 0.05) in the LP2000 group comparing with the CON group. Besides, LP treatment groups prominently increased the levels and activities of antioxidant enzymes and decreased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). Additionally, the levels of isobutyric acid in the LP1000 and LP2000 groups and isovaleric acid in the LP2000 group were significantly improved. More importantly, the α-diversity and microbial structure of intestinal microbiota were pronounced altered by LP supplementation. The results showed that only the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota was significantly increased in the LP2000 group, while 6 kinds of bacteria on genus level were significantly changed. For further validation, linear discriminant analysis with effect size (LEfSe) plots revealed that 8 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were predominant in the CON group, while Bacteroides and other beneficial species such as Lactimicrobium massiliense (ASV4 and ASV36), Intestinimonas butyriciproducens (ASV71), and Barnesiella viscericola (ASV152 and ASV571) were enriched in the LP groups. Taken together, dietary supplementation with LP obviously enhanced the immune status, antioxidant capacity, and stabilized the cecal microbiota and SCFAs, contributing to the improvement of growth performance of broilers. Our study laid good foundation for the application of probiotic Lactobacillus in animal industry in the future.

Dietary Clostridium butyricum and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 modulate bone metabolism of broilers through the gut-brain axis

Leg disorders have become increasingly common in broilers, leading to lower meat quality and major economic losses. This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OH-D3) on bone development by comparing growth performance, tibial parameters, Ca and P contents of tibial ash, bone development-related indicators' level, and cecal short-chain fatty acids in Cobb broilers. All birds were divided into four treatment groups, which birds fed either a basal diet (Con), basal diet + 75 mg chlortetracycline/kg (Anti), basal diet + C. butyricum at 109 CFU/kg (Cb), basal diet + C. butyricum at 109 CFU/kg and 25-OH-D3 at 25 μg/kg (CbD), or basal diet + 25-OH-D3 at 25 μg/kg (CD). Our results suggest that the dietary supplementation in Cb, CbD, and CD significantly increased the body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG), and reduced the feed-to-weight ratio (F/G) at different stages of growth (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation in Cb, CbD, and CD prolonged (P < 0.05) the behavioral responses latency-to-lie (LTL) time, reduced (P < 0.05) the levels of osteocalcin (BGP) and peptide tyrosine (PYY), and increased (P < 0.05) serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA). Treatment with Cb increased (P < 0.05) the levels of acetic acid, isobutyric acid, butyric acid, and isovaleric acid compared with those in Con group. The cecal metagenome showed that Alistipes spp. were significantly more abundant in Cb, CbD, and CD groups (P < 0.05). A total of 12 metabolic pathways were significantly affected by supplementation, including the signaling pathways of glucagon, insulin, and PI3K-AKT; primary and secondary bile acid biosynthesis; and P-type Ca 2+ transporters (P < 0.05). Hence, the CbD supplementation modulates bone metabolism by regulating the mediators of gut-brain axis, which may inform strategies to prevent leg diseases and improve meat quality in broilers.

Characterization of color variation in bamboo sheath of Chimonobambusa hejiangensis by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and RNA sequencing

BACKGROUND

Chimonobambusa hejiangensis (C.hejiangensis) is a high-quality bamboo species native to China, known for its shoots that are a popular nutritional food. Three C.hejiangensis cultivars exhibit unique color variation in their shoot sheaths, however, the molecular mechanism behind this color change remains unclear.

METHODS

We investigated flavonoid accumulation in the three bamboo cultivar sheaths using metabolomics and transcriptomics.

RESULTS

UPLC-MS/MS identified 969 metabolites, with 187, 103, and 132 having differential accumulation in the yellow-sheath (YShe) vs. spot-sheath (SShe)/black-sheath (BShe) and SShe vs. BShe comparison groups. Flavonoids were the major metabolites that determined bamboo sheath color through differential accumulation of metabolites (DAMs) analysis. Additionally, there were 33 significantly differentially expressed flavonoid structural genes involved in the anthocyanin synthesis pathway based on transcriptome data. We conducted a KEGG analysis on DEGs and DAMs, revealing significant enrichment of phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways. Using gene co-expression network analysis, we identified nine structural genes and 29 transcription factors strongly linked to anthocyanin biosynthesis.

CONCLUSION

We identified a comprehensive regulatory network for flavonoid biosynthesis which should improve our comprehension of the molecular mechanisms responsible for color variation and flavonoid biosynthesis in bamboo sheaths.

Bamboo leaf: A review of traditional medicinal property, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and purification technology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Bamboos are perennial evergreen plants that belong to the subfamily Bambusoideae of the true grass family Poaceae, with more than thousands of species distributed around the world. They are used as a traditional medicine with demonstrated effects of anti-oxidation, free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, liver protection and ameliorating cognitive deficits. Bamboo leaf is mainly used for the treatment of atherosclerotic, diabetic and nervous system diseases.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review aims to provide up-to-date information on the traditional medicinal properties, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and purification technologies of bamboo leaf.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant information on bamboo leaf was obtained by an online search of worldwide accepted scientific databases (Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Elsevier, SpringerLink, ACS Publications, Wiley Online Library and CNKI).

RESULTS

More than 100 chemical compounds, including flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides, volatile components, phenolic acids, polysaccharide, coenzyme Q10, phenylpropanoid and amino acids have been reported to be present. These compounds were usually extracted by column chromatography and membrane separation technologies. Preparative high performance liquid chromatography (PHPLC), high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC), simulated moving bed chromatography (SMB) and dynamic axial compression chromatography (DAC) were the advanced separation technologies have been used to isolate C-glycosides from bamboo leaf flavonoid, the main bioactive ingredient of bamboo leaf. Currently, bamboo leaf is mainly used for the treatment of atherosclerotic, diabetic, hepatic diseases and nervous system related symptoms, which are attributed to the presence of bioactive components of bamboo leaf.

CONCLUSIONS

Phytochemical and pharmacological analyses of bamboo leaf have been revealed in recent studies. However, most of the pharmacological studies on bamboo leaf have focused on bamboo leaf flavonoids. Further studies need to pay more attention to other phytochemical components of bamboo leaf. In addition, there is lack of sufficient clinical data and toxicity studies on bamboo leaf. Therefore, more clinical and toxicity researches on this plant and constituents are recommended.

Dietary bamboo leaf flavonoids improve quality and microstructure of broiler meat by changing untargeted metabolome

BACKGROUND

Dietary bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLFs) are rarely used in poultry production, and it is unknown whether they influence meat texture profile, perceived color, or microstructure.

RESULTS

A total of 720 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were supplemented with a basal diet with 20 mg bacitracin/kg, 50 mg BLFs/kg, or 250 mg BLFs/kg or without additions. Data showed that the dietary BLFs significantly (P < 0.05) changed growth performance and the texture profile. In particular, BLFs increased birds' average daily gain and average daily feed intake, decreased the feed:gain ratio and mortality rate, improved elasticity of breast meat, enhanced the gumminess of breast and leg meat, and decreased the hardness of breast meat. Moreover, a significant (P < 0.05) increase in redness (a*) and chroma (c*) of breast meat and c* and water-holding capacity of leg meat was found in BLF-supplemented broilers compared with control broilers. In addition, BLFs supplementation significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the β-sheet ratio and serum malondialdehyde and increased the β-turn ratio of protein secondary structure, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase of breast meat and total antioxidant capacity and catalase of serum. Based on the analysis of untargeted metabolome, BLFs treatment considerably altered 14 metabolites of the breast meat, including flavonoids, amino acids, and organic acids, as well as phenolic and aromatic compounds.

CONCLUSIONS

Dietary BLFs supplementation could play a beneficial role in improving meat quality and sensory color in the poultry industry by changing protein secondary structures and modulating metabolites.