Positive Health Online

Abstract

SENOUSEY and COLLEAGUES, 1 Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China;       2 Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China; 3 Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt conducted a study to compare the effects of dietary vitamin C, vitamin E, and alpha-lipoic acid supplementation on the antioxidant defence system and immune-related gene expression in broilers exposed to oxidative stress by dexamethasone. 

Background

Vitamin C, vitamin E, and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) are potent nutritional antioxidants, which are important for enhancing immunity.

Methodology

This study compared the effects of supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E, or ALA on the antioxidant defence system and the expression of immune-related genes under oxidative stress induced by dexamethasone (DEX) in broilers. In total, 240 one-day-old female Recessive White Rock chickens were assigned randomly to either a basal diet (control group) or basal diet supplemented with vitamin C (200 mg/kg diet), vitamin E (100 mg/kg), or ALA (500 mg/kg) for 28 d starting from hatching.

Results

At 21 d of age, birds fed the ALA-supplemented diet had the highest plasma total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) enzyme activities, and the lowest plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) activity, as well as the lowest mRNA gene expression levels of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and lipopolysaccharide-induced tumour necrosis factor-alpha factor (LITAF). At 23 d of age, the broilers in the 3 treatment groups were injected in the thigh muscle with DEX for 3 alternating days. In addition, the control group was divided into 2 equal groups, in which one was injected with saline and the other was injected with DEX. At 28 d of age, the DEX-ALA group (P < 0.05) had the highest activity levels for T-AOC, T-SOD, and GSH-PX in the plasma and liver (P < 0.05), and the greatest reduction in the MDA level. Dietary ALA significantly decreased the mRNA expression levels of the interleukin 1 β (IL-1β), IL-6, IFN-γ, and LITAF genes compared with the other groups during oxidative stress by DEX.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study suggests that in broilers, ALA is more effective for normalizing the oxidative stress induced by DEX than vitamin C or vitamin E.

References

H K El-Senousey  1   2   3 , B Chen  1   2 , J Y Wang  1   2 , A M Atta  3 , F R Mohamed  3 , Q H Nie  1   2 . Effects of dietary vitamin C, vitamin E, and alpha-lipoic acid supplementation on the antioxidant defence system and immune-related gene expression in broilers exposed to oxidative stress by dexamethasone  Poult Sci.  ;97(1):30-38. doi: 10.3382/ps/pex298. Jan 1 2018.

 

Comment

The above research suggests that in broilers, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is more effective for normalizing the oxidative stress induced by dexamethasone (DEX)  than vitamin C or vitamin E.